McClainJohnson.com

Boyfriend (Image via Huffingtonpost.com)

I had the great honor of DJing a set, opening up for legendary New Orleans-based bounce rapper Big Freedia this year. Freedia threw down hard in Kansas City and showcased why she is the undisputed Queen Diva of New Orleans Bounce. Another NOLA-based artist on the bill delivered one of the most intense performances I saw all year: Boyfriend.

I met Boyfriend before the show. She gave me a rundown on the current NOLA scene. She is so nice, laid back, chill and real. Her passion for NOLA comes from a real place. Offstage, she had a hip look. Boyfriend looked like a trippy barista or a foxy librarian. “She is so sweet, ” I thought to myself.

Then she got on the mic. Over gritty, trash can beats, she spit some of the nastiest rhymes I’ve ever heard anyone unleash. She describes her style as “cabaret rap.” Boyfriend got the crowd of over 300 people fired up. “Men cheating on me, men cheating on me, HELL NO!” she viciously exclaimed as she prowled the stage. Her live show was a complete 180 from her chill offstage vibe. At one point, her curls were bobbing all over the stage as she stripped down to her bra and was twerking on a chaise lounge. Her live show made me blush. Good thing I went on first.

Boyfriend made Peaches seem like your grandmother. She made 2 Live Crew look like Mother Teresa. In a time of half-baked ideas, Boyfriend is fully formed. She is as nasty as she wants to be and he world is better for it.