Podcast Summary: Keep It Positive, Sweetie

Episode: Rhymes & Reasoning with Rapsody
Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett
Guest: Rapsody
Release Date: November 17, 2024

Episode Overview

This heartfelt and candid conversation centers on healing, self-discovery, and standing in one’s truth. Crystal Renee Hayslett and acclaimed hip hop artist Rapsody discuss personal growth, the realities of fame, the importance of community, and women supporting women in both life and the music industry. Rapsody shares her wellness journey, artistic evolution, reflections on her latest album, and the power of authentic relationships, all underscored by honest, uplifting exchanges.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Meeting and First Impressions

• Crystal recounts her first meeting with Rapsody after Rapsody ghostwrote her BET cypher verse and seeing her perform live in Atlanta. She describes being blown away by Rapsody’s transformation from chill offstage to a magnetic presence onstage.
  • “You're so, like, chill. Your demeanor is super chill, but when you hit that stage, that other personality comes out.” (03:12)

2. Overcoming Shyness and Embracing the Stage

• Rapsody shares her shy upbringing and credits her mother for encouraging her to perform, especially at family reunions by mimicking Tina Turner performances.
  • “That's where I learned to, like, really perform. Like, she [my mom]—she's the beginning of that for me.” (03:41)
• Growing confidence comes from “loving myself more, being more secure… I can be more free on stage to allow people to see all parts of me.” (03:55)

3. Healing, Solitude, and Self-Validation

• Both host and guest discuss deep healing phases, particularly during the pandemic, periods of solitude, and the necessity of honest self-reflection.
  • “During the healing phase, man, you really have to sit with yourself and be honest with yourself. Forgive yourself… You have to affirm yourself. I can't let this world do it.” —Rapsody (04:30)
• Setting boundaries and affirming self-worth is a recurring theme.
  • “I just had to learn to be happy with me, you know, whatever is for me is for me. Like, I'm not trying to make y'all happy. I'm trying to make me happy.” (04:51)

4. The Pressure of Stardom & Redefining Success

• Although Rapsody is “worldwide,” she says she’s not overwhelmed by fame; rather, she puts pressure on herself about success metrics, realizing personal peace and genuine happiness matter more than industry accolades.
  • “I put more pressure on myself than anything because I feel like I have to check all these boxes off to be successful… But you just gotta touch people at the end of the day.” (07:14)
• Memorable fan encounters on tour reinforce her real purpose:
  • “One girl told me, she was like, you're the reason I'm still here today.… Another lady… the only way I was able to get through her surgeries was listening to your song 'Faith.'” (08:24)

5. Purpose, Clarity, and Being the Light

• Rapsody’s pivotal insight on her role in music and life:
  • “Sometimes you're not supposed to be in the light because you are the light.” (11:16, again repeated at 00:03 and 11:37)
• Supported by her artist Nico Brim’s metaphor:
  • “It's like you on an unbeaten path... with a machete and you just shoom, shoom, shoom, so we can walk behind you.” (11:39)

6. Women in Music: Challenges, Mentorship, and Sisterhood

• Rapsody’s journey in a male-dominated industry has been “blessed,” with mentoring from Ninth Wonder and Young Guru, who early on stressed:
  • “Before you do anything in this industry… define your line. The line you will not cross, you will not lose yourself over.” (12:52)
• Lack of early strong female networks, but now she finds joy in growing supportive sister circles:
  • “Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Erykah Badu… we built a beautiful friendship. She's one of my best friends.” (16:12)
• Extending support: “I extend myself to everybody. But Queen Latifah has taken me under her wing and giving me advice. Like, Badu is always giving me advice.” (17:48)

7. Community, Cultural Healing, and “Ikigai”

• The importance of community and collective care, inspired by the concept of ikigai from Japan—a life led with purpose, where the community supports each other through challenges. (21:13)
• Crystal shares her experience in Costa Rica’s “blue zone” and reflections on holistic longevity and communal well-being. (22:07)

8. Wellness Journeys: Veganism and Health

• Sharing stories about going vegan—Crystal’s own struggles with “flexitarianism,” humorous tales of cravings, and the impact of dietary changes on menstrual cramps and overall wellness.
• Rapsody’s path to veganism was inspired by seeing others’ energy and a desire for clarity:
  • “I had the most energy I've ever had in a long time… I reached a state of clarity and euphoria. My skin looked good, and I had been telling myself… I don't have to wear makeup if I don't want to, because my skin looks good enough.” (25:27)
• Health struggles, especially living with Graves’ disease (an autoimmune thyroid disorder), and how dietary changes brought improvements. (31:17–34:09)

9. Vulnerability & Truth in Art: The “Please Don’t Cry” Album

• Rapsody discusses the motivations behind her most transparent album, sharing personal stories and traumas—including abortion, relationships, family struggles, and mental health:
  • “When you do music, it should be a snapshot of your life… It was scary to put out. Like, I'm a private person… But I realized: the only way you can have a better connection with people is they have to see that you're human.” (35:00–36:55)
• Key influences in her healing and willingness to share: mentors and close friends such as Misa Hilton, Raina Biddy, and Sanaa Lathan (37:00).
• The power of fans’ resonance:
  • “I could tell by the crowd participation… how everybody was singing lyric for lyric… it was so dope, man.” (38:34)

10. Relationships, Love Languages, and Authenticity

• Rapsody reflects on a long-term private relationship that was unhealthy, her single life now, and the continuing importance of self-care and boundaries.
  • “Especially because I put other people's feelings and emotion before my own. It was like, I have to be there for you. I can't be there for myself.” (40:59)
• Discussion of love languages—Rapsody’s is words of affirmation; Crystal claims “all of them.” (41:46)

11. Sisterhood, Community Care, and Checking In

• Emphasis on checking in on strong friends, simple gestures of support, and reclaiming the power of community care.
  • "Badu sent me one day at random... I saved it." (20:44)
  • "We've gotten so far away from Community, and that's what we were built on." (20:52)

12. Fun, Freestyle, and Play

• The episode wraps up with a light-hearted freestyle challenge, playful verses, and laughter about the difficulties of vegan food swaps and the reality of “cheating” on plant-based diets. (47:09–51:11)
  • Memorable moment:
    • “Yo, what's your rap name again? Murder. You know, you heard us. A body on the floor, that's what she did to the verses. We connected like sisters.” —Rapsody (50:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On purpose:
  • “Sometimes you're not supposed to be in the light because you are the light.” —Rapsody (00:03, 11:16)
• On boundaries:
  • “Before you do anything, you have to ask yourself who am I. What do I want to do in this business? That'll answer all the questions.” —Rapsody (13:03)
• On vulnerability:
  • “The only way you can have a better connection with people is they have to see that you're human.” —Rapsody (36:55)
• On the weight of others' opinions:
  • “I've been called everything: ugly, chunkier, fat, you'll never make it, nobody wants to hear that, you're boring, it's too Black. A lot of it was from Black women. That was probably the hardest weight.” —Rapsody (15:22)
• On community:
  • “We got to get back to Community. We've gotten so far away from Community, and that's what we were built on.” —Rapsody (20:52)
• On healing:
  • “Healing, it's not linear.” —Rapsody (08:25)
• On self-love:
  • “You can't let this world do it. I can't, you know, look for that validation.” —Rapsody (04:36)
• On friendship:
  • “Queen Latifah has taken me under her wing and giving me advice. Like, Badu is always giving me advice.” —Rapsody (17:48)
• On her artistry:
  • “This album has been… the most important and my favorite album of my career.” —Rapsody (39:59)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Rapsody’s arrival: 02:35
• Discussion of shyness and performing: 03:16
• Healing and self-reflection: 04:30–06:13
• Pressure of the industry & redefining success: 07:14–09:34
• Purpose and clarity (“You are the light”): 11:16
• Navigating the industry as a woman: 12:36–15:47
• Sisterhood and mentorship: 16:10–19:28
• Community and ikigai: 21:13–22:41
• Vegan journeys: 23:04–26:55
• Autoimmune health & Graves’ disease: 31:17–34:09
• Transparency and new album ‘Please Don’t Cry’: 34:48–37:53
• Concert energy and crowd connection: 38:34
• Dating, relationships, love languages: 40:24–45:38
• Freestyle game: 47:09–51:11

Final Thoughts

This episode radiates authenticity, vulnerability, and warmth. Rapsody’s story is not just about her rise in hip hop but about finding peace, building true community, and learning to be the light for herself and others. Listeners leave with inspiration to honor their boundaries, embrace healing, and extend compassion to themselves and their communities—always keeping it positive, sweetie.