 "Photo: Lola Maxwell")
 "Photo: Lola Maxwell")
Hip-hop heads from all over are eating up Lola Maxwell’s ’90s bass-bumping beats like candy. That’s why the hard-core emcee from Southeast D.C. thinks she can follow MC Lyte and Queen Latifah into the musically raunchy atmosphere ruled by men. Maxwell says she is fresh, experienced and ready to check the rhyme -- something many other emcees fail to do. Here’s how she feels about her come-up.
Why did you become an emcee?
I like writing and performing. If I wasn't writing, I'd be dancing. I just love the freedom of expression and the reactions from people when they see or hear my work. Plus, I just feel like the hip-hop community and industry need to hear me! I miss the good music from the likes of MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa, Yo -Yo, Lauryn Hill, Biggie, ATCQ and Nas. I wouldn't say I'm done with the present music community, but unsatisfied.
What are your influences?
Paintings, sculptures, poetry, music, dance and dope artists such as Mos Def, Andre 3000, Coldplay, Jimi Hendrix and Q-Tip.
How did you come up with the name Lola Maxwell?
I just always loved the name Lola. It sounds like the name of a woman every man seeks. And the Maxwell just popped into my head. At first it was Lola Davenport, but my best friends persuaded me to go with Maxwell.
Who are you most compared to?
A lot of people refer to my music as what they listened to back in the day, like it's that "feel good" music. When I first started putting my music on the Internet, I got a lot of comparisons to MC Lyte, but one of my shows I did someone mentioned Roxanne Shante.
Why did you name the mixtape From the Planet of the Greats?
I chose the title From the Planet of the Greats, because I consider myself a great in the making, with the likes of Lena Horne, Duke Ellington, Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z and Mozart. This is my fifth project.
Fifth project? So what are the other releases, and when did they come out?
Well, my first project was Pink Hourglass (2008), which I never let anyone listen to. I swear I'm my worst and biggest critic. I mean it wasn't really that bad, but you could tell I was new to it. My second was Fendi-N-Fame (2008), which can be heard on Imeem. The third release was Studio 1206 (2009). The fourth and late-summer release is Check the Rhyme (2009).
So, what are your favorite songs on From the Planet of the Greats?
This mixtape is my favorite out of the five that I've done thus far. I can hear more growth in this one versus Check the Rhyme, but my favorite tracks would have to be "Lola Gets It," "Champion," "Lyrical Digest," "Things Are Changin,'" "Bad Reception" and "Just a Color."
What do you plan to accomplish in the next five years?
Hmmm. Well, I'll be 25 by then. So, if I receive such a blessing as getting signed in two years or less, that would be great! But I'm just trying to be rational. I also want to build more relationships with magazines, upcoming clothing companies and designers, and hip-hop organizations.
If you could describe your style and music in one word, what would it be?
Chic style, but my music is evolutionary.
Imani Pope-Johns is a student at Howard University.
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