Sa-Roc is arguably one of the most vibrant MCs in the world today. Her crisp articulation, fiery delivery, and her elevated and insightful lyricism have often placed her within the same conversation as some of Hip Hop’s most notable artists. Once dubbed by Okayplayer as “one of the most formidable microphone mavens in the game,” and more recently heralded by NPR as "a modern day griot whose aura radiates calm in a world of chaos," she is an artist for a socially conscious generation.
By her own admission, Sa-Roc was painfully shy and reclusive as a youth. She was born three months premature and didn’t make a sound during the first fourteen months of her life. She grew up in Southeast D.C. at the height of the crack era, with neighborhoods plagued by poverty and disaffection. These and many other early experiences shaped her understanding of the world around her, deepened her emotional sensitivity, and cemented a social consciousness that’s evident throughout her music. Her early struggle to find a voice—both literally and creatively—would also prove critical in shaping her lyrical expression.
In 2018, she channeled much of her pain into a self-empowerment anthem, “Forever”, which struck a chord and led to worldwide acclaim with an official music video that has amassed over 6 million views to date. The song set the stage for her 2020 magnum opus, The Sharecropper’s Daughter, the title of which pays homage to her father’s experience growing up sharecropping tobacco. The album was, in her own words, “a sonic reflection on the generational inheritance of the traumas and triumphs that shape our humanity, and influence the way we see the world.”
The Sharecropper’s Daughter received widespread critical acclaim, with many notable outlets singing its praises. American Songwriter called the project “a masterpiece of linguistic agility and dexterity,” while AllHipHop called Sa-Roc “an anomaly, a proverbial one-of-one in a vastly overcrowded Hip-Hop scene.” Sa-Roc was also invited to perform on NPR’s world-renowned Tiny Desk series during their stretch of Covid-induced “Home” concerts, leading their own audience to describe her matter-of-factly as “the truth” and “the best lyricist in recent times.”
Following the critical acclaim for The Sharecropper’s Daughter, Sa-Roc returned with a deluxe edition of the album in 2021. The new version featured the addition of six powerful new songs including the sagely reaffirming “Wild Seeds”, the double entendre-riddled “Dusty Roads”, and the poignant closer “The Rebirth” – a transcendent collaboration with the late legend MF DOOM – all raising the bar once more for both the skills and the intention she displays in her lyricism.
Now, as Sa-Roc wraps up with recording her follow-up release, she stands ready to reach new heights. At a time when so many have been calling for social change, Sa-Roc is an MC whose energy and conscious lyrics are poised to shake up the rap game and remind us all that Hip Hop was always about giving a voice to the people.
