Century Got Bars is a Sacramento-based hip-hop MC who, despite originating from Detroit, became a recurring fixture of the local rap scene, described by Submerge as "Sacramento's Century Got Bars."[1] She is a solo rapper known for an eclectic, genre-blending approach and was a frequent collaborator and festival performer across the early-to-mid 2010s.[1][2] In 2013 she won the Sacramento News and Review Sammie Award for Best Emcee, becoming the first female to win in that category (according to her TEDxSacramentoSalon bio).[3]
At a glance
- Hip-hop MC based in the Sacramento area (Elk Grove); originally from Detroit.[1]
- Style influenced by Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC, mixed with rock, EDM, neo-soul, and 90s boom-bap.[4]
- Was 32 years old at the time of her 2014 album feature, placing her birth year around 1981–1982.[1]
- Nominated in the Emcee category for the 22nd Annual Sacramento Area Music Awards (SAMMIES) in 2013.[5]
- Released Midtown Marauders, a collaborative album with Bru Lei, named to Submerge's Top 30 Albums of 2013.[6]
- Released her third solo album, 3, in June 2014, recorded with producer Brian "AlienLogik" Baptista.[1]
- Recurring performer in Sacramento hip-hop bills and at Concerts in the Park.[7][2]
- Performed at TEDxSacramentoSalon on December 12, 2014 at Crocker Art Museum.[8]
Origin and local status
Century Got Bars is identified as a Sacramento artist ("Sacramento's Century Got Bars"), and at the time of her 2014 feature she was completing her album at a home studio in Elk Grove, within the Greater Sacramento region.[1] However, she states plainly that her roots are in Detroit, contrasting the cold reception of her hometown with her embrace in Sacramento: she expressed that her close family and friends "in Detroit" had largely not downloaded her album, and invoked the saying "a prophet isn't recognized in their own home" before adding that in Sacramento, by contrast, she felt recognized and welcomed.[1] She also studied audio engineering at The Art Institute of Atlanta.[1] By origin she is a transplant from Detroit, but the sources consistently treat her as part of, and embedded within, the Sacramento scene.[1][2] Her Bandcamp page lists her location as Sacramento, California, and her releases carry both "detroit" and "sacramento" tags reflecting her dual roots.[9]
Music and approach
Century Got Bars is characterized by a deliberately eclectic style that resists being boxed into a single subgenre, drawing on soul, R&B, rock, neo-soul and boom-bap rather than the gangsta-rap or '90s boom-bap conventions Submerge described as common in Sacramento rap at the time.[1] She cited influences ranging from Rage Against the Machine, Nirvana and Portishead to D'Angelo, Arrested Development, the Beastie Boys and Alanis Morissette.[1] According to her TEDxSacramentoSalon bio, her style is influenced by the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC and blends rock, EDM, neo-soul, and 90s boom-bap elements.[4] She rejected the label "femcee," saying she wanted to be regarded simply as an MC who would come up when people named their favorite rappers, while affirming the importance of female voices in hip-hop.[1] She maintained a full-time day job outside music and framed her music-making as a passion rather than a primary income source.[1]
Discography
Century Got Bars' Bandcamp discography documents at least seven releases spanning 2010 to 2018, with her location listed as Sacramento, California.[9]
- Who Lil Boi Is This?! (October 10, 2010) — her debut Bandcamp album, produced by Digital Martyrs, Swiss Boy, and Ninja OneR, with artwork by Ninja OneR. Tagged with both "detroit" and "sacramento," reflecting her dual roots.[10]
- Music4Music (April 16, 2011) — her second release, described in her TEDxSacramentoSalon bio as her "debut album."[4][9]
- Forget Today Remember Tomorrow (August 14, 2012) — mixed and mastered by AlienLogik; tagged "ghost coast music," suggesting an association with that label or collective. Track 11, "Kings Army (TPR)," is an ensemble Sacramento hip-hop cut featuring Tribe of Levi, Mahtie Bush, Lou Slugga, Bru Lei, Blaze, Nome Nomadd, and Old Ghost — documenting her deep integration into the Sacramento scene network.[11]
- Midtown Marauders (February 26, 2013) — collaborative album with Bru Lei, named to Submerge's Top 30 Albums of 2013 (No. 18), described as a tribute to A Tribe Called Quest and an "audible tour" of Midtown Sacramento.[6][9]
- Get 2 Know U (May 20, 2014)[9]
- 3 — her third solo album, released around June 2014 and recorded at the Elk Grove home studio of producer Brian "AlienLogik" Baptista.[1] Tracks named in the feature include "No Private Dancer," "RU Mad" (featuring Nome Nomadd and Mic Jordan), "Last Laugh" (with Oakland artist Are Too), and "The End" (featuring Mahtie Bush and Luke Tailor).[1] The release show for 3 was held at the Press Club on Thursday, June 19, 2014, hosted by Andru Defeye and Miss Ashley with DJ Epik, and featuring Mic Jordan, Mahtie Bush, Luke Tailor and Petro.[1]
- The Motown EP (August 4, 2016)[9]
- F.A.I.T.H. (2018)[9]
Scene relationships and notable shows
Century Got Bars appears repeatedly alongside other Sacramento hip-hop figures, indicating an integrated place in the local network:
- She was among the guest MCs at the ZuhG-led Dr. Dre Tribute Show at Harlow's on December 29, 2012, alongside Task1ne and RIZ.[12]
- She performed with rapper Mahtie Bush on April 26, 2013 at All Stars Sports Bar in Woodland, and at the Sactown Underground / Freestyle Session NorCal B-boy jam at the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg on April 27, 2013.[13]
- Her album 3 features collaborations with Mahtie Bush, Luke Tailor, Nome Nomadd, Mic Jordan and Oakland's Are Too.[1]
- She performed at TEDxSacramentoSalon on December 12, 2014 at Crocker Art Museum, alongside James Cavern and Michael Ray.[8]
- She was booked for a collaborative season-finale set at the 2015 Concerts in the Park series at Cesar Chavez Plaza on July 24, 2015, billed together with Task1ne, J-Ras and Charleee.[7]
- She performed at the July 1, 2016 EP release show for Sacramento blues musician Michael Ray at Old Ironsides, alongside Honey B. and the Cultivation.[2]
Awards and recognition
In 2013, Century Got Bars won the Sacramento News and Review Sammie Award for Best Emcee, becoming the first female to win in that category (according to her TEDxSacramentoSalon bio).[3] She was also listed as a nominee in the Emcee category for the 22nd Annual Sacramento Area Music Awards (SAMMIES) in 2013, with her website centurygotbars.com cited alongside nominees C Plus, Chuuwee, Hennessy, Mahtie Bush, Nome Nomadd, and others.[5]