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  • March 29, 2010
    Pop Damage: "Invincible’s [SXSW] show...renewed hope for the future of hip-hop."

    Invincible at the Emergence DXSW Showcase
    By CAIT STUFF, Pop Damage

    Detroit hip-hop artist Invincible released her first record (ShapeShifters) in 2008, but for those with an ear for Detroit style rap, it was an album that we’d been wanting for a decade. The last time I had managed to get my hands on some of Invincible’s recordings was in 2002, downloaded off of limewire, in the days when local artists from a city you no longer lived in were hard to find. And the last time I had seen her perform live was in the mid-nineties, both of us still teenagers at the time. As a result, seeing her name on the SXSW Detroit showcase at Victory Grill Thursday night was like a blast from the past, a show that, despite how exhausted I already was from earlier events in the day, I knew I couldn’t afford to miss.

    If Eminem hadn’t traded his reputation as a musician for shock politics and personal drama, Detroit rap might have found its rightful place on the national stage. If it had, Invicible might well be a national name by now. Instead, while D12’s Obie Trice and 50-Cent have traded in their Detroit sound for some half-rate Yankee attempt at crunk, Invincible stays true to her roots. It turns out that much of the decade-long wait for her first album has been necessitated by her reluctance to buy into big-label politics, and Thursday night’s Detroit showcase was largely the product of her own self-created label, Emergence. From everything I heard Thursday night, the waiting and private effort required to make her music independently of big rap contracts has been well worth it.

    The crowd at Victory Grill were intense in their focus on the stage. Although there was certainly beer being served, it was probably the least partying crowd I encountered all week. These people were here to listen first and party second, if they were partying at all. Invincible took the stage after an impassioned introduction from Finale in which he repeatedly thanked her for putting the evening together. He then stayed on stage with Invincible throughout her set, backing her up on “Sledgehammer,” as well as the tracks he is featured in on the ShapeShifters album. That the two of them work well together is obvious, and I look forward to more collaborative pieces from them in the future. The evening ended with a joint performance of “Locusts,” an incredibly intelligent look at the politics of eminent domain in Detroit, in which Finale delivered the amazing line “I’m not trying to rap, I’m time traveling.”

    Visibly, Invincible has changed little in the intervening decade, small but tough, age impossible to pin down if you didn’t already know it. Lyrically she’s improved, but how much is hard to say, as she was more skilled than many professionals around her even then. Detroit rap is word-heavy when compared to other regional rap styles, but the density of Invincible’s rhymes is intense even by Detroit standards. She spits rhymes like a master of tongue twisters, with the vocal control and enunciation to let you know that she could keep this pace up for as long as it takes to get your attention. And once she’s got that, you immediately realize that she’s not just about the sound — the lyrics she’s spitting are so angry, intelligent and socially aware they make other “rap for smart people” artists (like Atmosphere) sound like they’re singing about ice cream or days in the week. Lyrics like “Mental telepathy/Possess him with her recipe/To make him feel some empathy/Hears her thinking ‘set us free’” display a complexity of thought, a willingness to see and explore the grey area between what we think about a person and what they’re actually thinking that’s rare in any musical genre. Given the utterly brainless vocals that crunk-influenced radio rap has been producing, Invincible’s show was more than just a blast from the past, but a renewed hope for the future of hip-hop.

  • March 16, 2010
    Real Detroit Weekly: DXSW is "a lineup chock-full of Detroit’s finest"

    Real Detroit Weekly previews EMERGENCE's DXSW (Detroit Hip Hop Showcase).

    Detroit By Southwest
    By Shannon DeVries

    Last year, Invincible took her first trip to the South By Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, TX — known as an industry conference rife with opportunities for new artists to network with agents and bigwigs. Last year, the Detroit rapper scored a few connections to overseas music festivals. But Invincible stepped her game up for 2010, creating more connections for Detroit artists. Her Emergence Media group is putting on one of the official SXSW showcases, with a lineup chock-full of Detroit’s finest.

    Although this will be her first SXSW-affiliated showcase, this isn't Invincible's first time reppin’ Detroit artists to the world at large. That includes a 2008 Long Beach, CA, show, which ended up resembling a UAW protest more than a rap showcase when promoters threatened to hold back payment. But Invincible still believes in the opportunities that come from out-of-town shows. As she so eloquently says: “Every time we do an out of town event together, it creates more opportunities for people to break bread, so we don’t have to fight over crumbs.”

    Although she wishes she could have made an entire day of SXSW Detroit and brought even more talent, Invincible chose Slum Village and Black Milk to headline the Detroit By Southwest showcase. Ten other artists will support those Detroit legends while celebrating the launch party of the website SplinkMe.com, which Invincible describes as a way to "connect small businesses with cultural influencers, such as artists and community figures, towards developing partnerships and sponsorships.” How very Detroit. Hope Austin is ready for this epic Motown takeover!

    View the event info for DXSW and related events.

  • March 15, 2010
    TheFembassy.com Presents "The Revival" Interview Series

    In support of Invincible's The Revival documentary on the rising women in Hip Hop movement, TheFembassy.com has presented follow-up interviews with some of the artists featured in the film. Check out those interviews by clicking through the following links:

    Eternia
    Bahamadia
    DJ Shortee
    Stacy Epps
    Invincible



    On March 19, EMERGENCE presents The Revival: SXSW at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, TX, featuring performances by Bahamadia, Tiye Phoenix, Invincible wsg. Waajeed, Eternia, Diamond, Miz Korona, Psalm One, Maeday, Boog Brown, 50/50, Perseph One, Eyeris, Staci Russel and DJ Skeez. Event details here.

  • March 3, 2010
    Metro Times: Invincible's "Motor City Five"

    Metro Times Blowout-edition cover photo by Doug Coombe.

    In anticipation of her headlining performance at the Blowout, the Metro Times did a quick five question interview with Invincible.

    INVINCIBLE

    1. What musical accomplishment of yours are you most proud of?
    Completing and self-releasing my first album, ShapeShifters, independently, instead of signing a bullshit deal earlier on in my career. It was a longer scenic route but was worth it. I'm proud to be able to build off of that foundation as well as share the model I'm developing with other artists.

    2. Favorite local band/artist (other than yourself!)?
    A tie between Underground Resistance and Slum Village

    3. What do the words "YouTube sensation" mean to you?
    T Baby's "It's So Cold In The D"

    4. Who is the greatest Detroit musical export of all time?
    Stevie Wonder. Funkadelic, J Dilla, Aretha and Juan Atkins as runners-up.

    5. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
    Still living in Detroit while exploring parallel universes, taking quantum leaps both musically and with my communities.

    Invincible plays Thursday, March 4, at midnight at the G of C Hall.

  • February 27, 2010
    Real Detroit Weekly: Invincible is "Best Female Hip-Hop Artist"

    Invincible was named "Best Female Hip-Hop Artist/Group" of 2010 in Real Detroit Weekly's annual "Real Best of Detroit" reader pole. Thanks to Real Detroit and to everyone who voted for Invincible!

    Here's the write-up:

    Best Female Hip-Hop Artist/Group: Invincible
    Not too long ago, while blissfully driving through downtown Detroit, we heard this piece on Invincible on NPR. We subsequently drove past the building we were looking for when they played the beat to what we would learn later was her badass song “Shapeshifters” that was produced by Waajeed. We were mesmerized. This woman is powerful and undeniably owns her rhymes with a confidence of ownership on par with MCs like Black Thought, Ghostface and early Eminem. Experience her talent, power and gritty grace.

  • February 27, 2010
    Michigan Radio: Invincible's three-step process for community-led solutions

    Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Christina Shockley is asking artists, politicians, business owners, teachers, and people from all walks of life to give their three ideas for things each of us can do to revive our state.

    When interviewed for the "three things" series, Invincible took the interview as an opportunity to discuss a three-step process for crafting community-led solutions to Michigan's problems.

    Listen to the interview here.

  • November 1, 2009
    The Village Voice and The New York Times cover Invincible's CMJ Music Marathon performance

    The Village Voice offers a review of Invincible's performance at the High Water Music CMJ '09 Showcase.

    Excerpt:

    ...the mic was passed on to Waajeed (of Platinum Pied Pipers) as he took over the turntables to introduce the next act. "Real hip-hop is a rare motherfucking thing," he announced as Invincible took the stage. "And we're here to bring you some real hip-hop." Those who'd been standing on the outskirts chatting--and those who'd wandered over from the back room--swarmed in as the small-framed rapper opened with the gritty "State of Emergency," which also leads off her Shapeshifters album.

    What she lacked in stature she made up for in confidence, engaging the audience ("Everybody move your hands like this--just do it, believe me") and actually succeeding this time. Each new song came with a fresh routine for the audience: "Now make your fingers in the shape of an L," she yelled, doffing her page-boy peacoat during an energetic "No Easy Answers." Her enthusiasm only waned for a moment as she somberly spoke on the state of her hometown in "these times," before ending with the thoughtful "Keep Goin'" alongside an even smaller rapper named At Last, who earnestly chanted along with the chorus: "I keep going/Even when I want to stop."

    Invincible clearly stole the show--most of the audience left as she did. Lucky for you, she'll be back at Public Assembly on Thursday for the Homeland Hip-Hop show. I can't speak for the rest of the lineup, but she's worth the $12 alone.

    Read the full article at The Village Voice.

    The New York Times also made mention of Invincible's performance in its article on the rising presence of Hip-Hop at the CMJ Music Marathon. Read the article at NYTimes.com.

  • August 7, 2009
    North Shore News: Invincible's "got a message to spread, plenty of them in fact"

    Excerpt:

    "When I moved to the States, I didn't speak English and hip hop was all around me and I would listen to it and start looking up the words and the lyrics and stuff," says Invincible, who was born in Illinois, but moved to Israel when she was still a baby. Eventually, she started creating her own lyrics and got more serious about her craft at around the age of 15, freestyling and performing at open mics and in clubs. But while she's recognized today as one of the most talented MC's in the U.S., labels aren't what matter most to Invincible. She'd rather focus her energy on making good music and fostering change.

    "Musically it's about skills first . . . . It's about innovating the art form, it's about making sure my flow is tight, making sure the beat is banging and everything. That comes first. And then I always say I slip the medicine in," she says, explaining her content is all influenced by things she's experienced or witnessed, or issues she's hoping to shed light on.

    Read the full North Shore News article.

  • August 7, 2009
    Real Talk Xpress: Invincible Talks Hip-Hop’s Mental Health

    Via Real Talk Xpress:

    In the wake of the tragic passing of Baatin of the legendary Slum Village due to his struggles with mental health (detailed in this phenomenal interview with Phonte of Little Brother), I remembered I had discussed this very issue with Michigan Hip-Hop stalwart Invincible.

    Here Invincible talks about how mental health issues have painfully affected Hip-Hop, including some of the most influential rappers, producers and labels in the game.

    Invincible rhymed about Mental Heath complexities on her debut album “ShapeShifters” in the groundbreaking song “Ropes” the video of which was accepted then rejected by MTV due to their belief the video was “problematic” because of “suicidal undertones”.

    View the original post.

  • August 7, 2009
    Straight.com: Invincible's "voice is nimble but powerful, a style that ranks her with some of the best female MCs, from Jean Grae to Lil' Kim"

    Excerpt:

    If you've been watching the fall of the American auto industry, you might have the impression that Detroit's become the saddest place in the United States. Rapper Ilana Weaver (aka Invincible) admits there's a lot of desperation in her city, but she insists there's hope aplenty, too, pointing to Detroit's official motto (“Speramus meliora; resurget cineribus,” which translates as “We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes”) as proof of its resilience in past calamities—from the 1805 fire that destroyed it to the five-day riot in 1967 that rocked its core.

    “There's a lot of media coverage of Detroit that only shows the disinvestment, the abandonment, and the postindustrial aspects,” says the MC and community organizer, reached at her home. “What my work and my music focuses on is the way people here find innovative ways of dealing with those issues. There's community movements, a lot of self-reliance—whether it's people who take abandoned buildings and fix them up for housing, or people that turn abandoned lots into vegetable gardens. There's a lot of incredible work being done that doesn't get shown enough.”

    Read the full article.