Abby Power is a hip-hop artist hailing from London, both a rapper and singer. Her big influences are 90’s rap artists, in particular Eminem, but also female rappers like Missy Elliott amongst others. As she raps and sings in her native English accent she is likely to draw comparisons with Lily Allen, whose singing voice is similar, though perhaps someone like Professor Green shares more similarities with her particular rapping style.
She has already gained a large internet fanbase as well as garnering praise from singer/songwriter Skylar Grey and this track Each Lyric is a good showcase for her abilities. Set to a slinky, funky hip-hop beat and a jazzy chord progression on piano, Abby begins the track singing before switching to rapping for the verses. Her rapping is smooth and has conviction, while her lyrical style is raw, honest and vulnerable.
Many people, especially teenagers, will be able to identify with the chorus hook, which begins “My life’s a mess, I’m so confused, I don’t really know what to do…”. The verses are more specific to her own life, addressing her concerns and fears that money and success in music might change her into a person she doesn’t want to be. By wearing her heart on her sleeve it allows an emotional connection with the listener, and makes a refreshing change from rappers who like to brag and glorify wealth and possessions.
Overall, Abby Power has the right credentials to hit the big time, and now could not be a better time to make a name for herself with female rappers like Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj currently hugely popular. With her debut album Transitions released this year to acclaim, I expect to be hearing much more from her in the future.
By Alex Faulkner
I’m 34 and a freelance music journalist, as well as a composer and producer. I’ve written reviews for UK newspapers and music websites. I run my own blog, reviewing the best new bands and artists . I’m very passionate and knowledgeable about music and that shows in my writing.
Check out our exclusive interview with Abby below.
EV: At what age did you decide that you wanted a career in music?
Abby: I was about 16 years old just about to start college and I felt it was something I had to atleast try and do because people were telling me to take a shot at it, so why not, right?
EV: Who inspires you?
Abby: I’ve been asked this question a few times now and as time goes by i cant really catagorise a list of people that inspire me, because thinking about it, anyone that has a real passion for something and they pursue it to the end of the earth even to just live their dream for 5 minutes, those are the people that inspire me because they never give in, so why should I?
EV: Talk about your musical influences… I sense some Eminem style in your lyrics.
Abby: yes im definitely inspired by Eminem for obvious lyrical reasons, iv been more open to influences lately though because there are so many great new artists coming out and they really impress me, people like Hopsin, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar etc you can tell they have all been heavily influenced by old school hip hop so I can definitely relate to them. Also people that I personally know inspire me lyrically, people such as J Lynch & Rene Soul, be sure to check them out!
EV: Your song Each Lyric has close to a quarter million plays on Exposed Vocals, tell me about what was going through your head when you wrote this track.
Abby: Yes omg! That amount of views is mind-blowing to me so thank you to who ever took the time to watch it, i really appreciate it! So the song came out while i was listening to Drake – The Resistance which is where the as said by Drizzy..you promised me you would never change lyric came from lol and the topic he talks about in the song hit me and made me realise in a sense iv experienced it all too.. betrayal. So as soon as i decided on a subject it just all started flowing.
EV: What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town?
I just remember growing up when MTV was about music..not reality shows. So everything they played was stuff like missy elliot, eminem, aaliyah, busta rhymes, ruff riders etc etc so id just sit there fascinated watching all these music videos thinking wow! But never in a million years would i of thought like 10 years down the line id be making my own and being interviewed about it.
EV: Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?
Abby: well growing up in an irish household most of the records and tapes were irish american country music haha but my big brothers were obviously into hip hop and UK garage music so they definitely had those tapes lying around for me to swipe and put in my tape recorder lol, i have my own vinyls now though..hanging all over my bedroom wall, from the Jay Z black album to Eminems Marshall mathers LP.
EV: Who are your favorite musicians? Groups? CD’s?
favourite musicians would be Bob Marley and Avril Lavigne..yes really haha. Slash from Guns & Roses too, in my eyes he’s the best guitarist to grace Rock&Roll. Groups would be Souls of Mischief, SlaughterHouse, Mobb Deep erm i know theres more..but being mindblack is a bitch. Favourite CD would probably be the Marshall Mathers LP, so much pain and diversity for that era of hip hop.
EV: Do you perform in public? Describe those occasions? Concerts, radio, TV?
Abby: iv performed three times live and two of the locations have been well known bars in the centre of two very well known towns so it was a good look. One occasion was an unsigned showcase event so it was fun to see other people in my position.
Do you get nervous before a performance or a competition?
Do i get nervous? HELL YES! Am I still nervous while performing? No! It’s only before because its just hard to know what to expect from the crowd and theres always questions running through my head like ‘will they like me?’ , ‘what if i mess up and forget the words?’. But once im out there and performing it gets better because your in the moment and you start to get into it.
EV: What advice would you give to beginners who are nervous?
Abby: Well im still a beginner so i dont want to try and act like a veteran ha! But i will let fellow beginners know this- You are NOT alone when it comes to feeling nervous, it’s a natural thing, its adrenaline and excitement all having a party in your body at once. Once your up there doing your thing, you’ll come off stage and think ‘why the hell was i so worried?’
How do you balance your music with other obligations? boyfriend, job, school?
Abby: It gets tricky at times but as much as music is important, so is a personal life, if you do too little of either its going to drive you crazy so even if it means cutting sleep short by an hour of two, remember to maintain a balance. But also always remember you cant please everyone so dont stress yourself trying to.
who would you want to do a tour or concert with?
it would make sense to name someone iv actually seen live because i got a first hand look at how they are performing and the type of vybe its going to have, so i would have to say J Cole, touring with him would be amazing.
EV: Which Artists would you say you are most like?
Im not like any artist you’ve ever heard or will hear again.
Who would play you in a movie about your life?
Abby: I really like this question haha erm well I dont know to be honest, id probably have to go with Kristen Stewart, she seems uncomfortable in the spotlight but yet she doesnt seem to give a shit about anybodys opinions about what she does, how she acts or how she dresses, which is pretty much me in a nutshell.
EV: whats the one thing not a lot of people know about you?
Abby: I’m diabetic. Not the type you get from self inflicted poor health either lol and it really affects my memory and makes me very forgetfull which is why i avoid doing freestyle videos because unless its a song iv recorded, im going to have real trouble trying to remember random lyrics like that. It sucks but i make up for the lack of freestyles, with the quality of my music…i hope
Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us!
