Leikeli47 is known for her mysteriousness—her face is always concealed with a bandana or balaclava—but she should be known as one of the dopest MCs out. You may have heard songs like “Attitude,” “Girl Blunt,” and “Mulita” on the soundtrack for HBO’s Insecure, or the bouncy 2017 single “Money” from her excellent debut LP, Wash & Set. The Brooklyn rapper/singer/producer’s latest release, Acrylic, is the second in a trio of albums (the “Beauty Series”) that focus on normalizing Black beauty standards and celebrating Black safe havens, like hair salons and HBCUs. She’s more than proven herself as a lyricist and MC, but Leikeli47’s recent NPR Tiny Desk performance shows she’s got some serious chops as a vocalist as well. Leikeli47 is the sole femcee headlining at this year’s Soul’d Out Music Festival, and with local support from rapper Raquel Divar, this show is not one to miss.

by Jenni Moore