In the Blog

the white magic of giselle numba one

August 17th, 2007     by Anna Leventhal     Comments

I was already planning to post about Giselle Numba One for this week’s pick, so imagine my delight yesterday when I opened a copy of the Montreal Mirror to find an interview with her where she says “I’m a bitchy person, I’m politicized, I’m a feminist. I don’t want to ever be described as sexy in Giselle Numba One, I don’t wanna be that girl. I wanna be the angry feminist rapper that everyone’s afraid to hit on,”. Um, did the spirit of Queen Latifah* just enter your body?

Giselle Numba One is actually the side project of Giselle Webber’s main band, Hot Springs. But while the band is undoubtedly a raucous good time, I can’t seem to get enough of her poppy, rant-y solo stuff, which is kind of like if Joanna Newsom traded her harp for a Casio and started rapping about witches instead of singing about faeries and lovers lost at sea. Though Hey Kid may be the crowd favorite, personally I love The Wicca Rap - though be warned when you listen, this jam is catchier than mono. Once it enters your head it may never leave. I hope her solo stuff gets off the backburner soon and onto my plate.

Meanwhile, we still have the Hot Springs’ release Volcano to look forward to, and, oh heck, another priceless quote from Webber: “‘Pink Money’ is a lesbian rock anthem, and I used to be like [in earnest tones] ‘This song’s for all the women who,’ and I’d describe it in a couple of sentences. Now I just go, ‘That song was about vaginas’ and everyone’s like ‘YEAHHH!!!’”

*if you haven’t recently listened to Queen Latifah’s U.N.I.T.Y., do yourself a favour and pick it up RIGHT NOW. Forget Hollaback New York or Hollaback Canada. This is Hollaback WORLD.

Tags: features, picks from planet venus

« “Well I loved the idea of playing a girl who dresses up like a dude ...” -Amanda Bynes

Quick Question »