Safe to say, the things that we experience in life mold us into the individuals we grow to be. Certain events that occur throughout the formative years of adolescence shape us into the people we become. God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers and nobody personifies this greater than Scar Lip from The Bronx.
Scar Lip bounced in and out of several foster homes and detention centers before turning 18. When her mom passed away at age 12 she went to live with her aunt who subjected her to incredibly inhumane treatment. Her aunt’s boyfriend would sexually abuse her and her brother brutally punched her which gave her the signature scar on her lip.
“More importantly you become who you were born to be.”
–He Man by Blu
Owning Her Struggle
Choosing the name Scar Lip proved to be quite the power play for this young New York artist. By embracing her largest imperfection, she reclaims all power from the adverse incident that plagued her throughout most of her days. By turning the pain into power this woman leverages potential ridicule into an opportunity to brand herself. In the meantime, owning her identity in this way also creates an intimidation factor.
Her brother left her upper right lip dangling from the blow he dealt her. Aunt looked at each of them in the hospital and made the decision to kick Sierra out rather than the brother. Between the ages of 16 and 18, this young woman lived in eight different foster homes. While living with multiple different families, she wrote a good deal of rhymes. At 18, she returned to her Aunt’s where they talked the situation over – to this day her brother has yet to apologize for his attempt to ruin his sister’s appearance.
Cardi B and Scar Lip in the studio together! pic.twitter.com/EOR1RonGnc
— Cardi B All Access
(@CardiAllAccess) June 8, 2023
(@CardiAllAccess) DMX Reincarnated
Evidently, the major reason that people flock to this extremely polarizing artist revolves around her parallels to DMX. On her viral hit single, “This is New York” it is impossible not to draw the comparisons. The tumultuous upbringing, rugged inflection and intimidation factor all directly point to the female DMX.
Given that we lost DMX around the same time Scar burst upon the scene might be the reason why Swizz Beatz felt this artist was sent to him. Swizz Beatz plays an instrumental role in the acceleration of Scar Lip’s trajectory. An early single like “Glizzy Gobbler” got her in the rotation with millions of views but “This is New York” started turning heads. Since, Scar spit a verse with Jadakiss and Benny the Butcher on Swizz Beatz Hip Hop 50 mixtape. Furthermore, Swizz has agreed to executive produce her first project, Scars and Stripes.
“If it hurts you, that is not what is important. Everybody’s hurt. What is important is that you must find some way of using this to connect you with everyone else alive. Your pain is trivial except insofar as you can use it to connect with other people’s pain.”
The intriguing part about Scar Lip points directly to the way she pours her pain onto the paper. No human being should ever have to endure the suffering that she encountered. The aggression witnessed within her music stems from the survival tactics employed over time. The chaotic and volatile energy provides infectious vibrations and relatability through authenticity.
50 Cent, Boosie and Cardi B have co-signed her. Shaq, Snoop and Busta Rhymes have made songs with her. Moreover, Swizz Beatz will executive produce her debut release as she recently signed to Epic Records. Scar Lip proclaims that she will go down in history as the artist with the most remixes to one song.
Scar Lip is a woman who aspires to build homes for girls and boys who are trapped with their abusers and neglected by the system. Looking to catch her in concert? Check out Rock the Bells Fest on August 5th with a nod to Swizz Beatz and Special Guests.
The post Scars and Stripes: Scar Lip Rumbles in the Bronx appeared first on NYS Music.
