Flo Dee, the new female voice in Malawi hip-hop
There is a new voice in Malawian rap music circles trading under the name Flo Dee. The female rapper, born Florida Chinyumba, came on the scene in June when she dropped her debut love song Veke Mphete featuring the sleek voice of Afro Pop/R&B singer Bucci, the co-writer.
Flo Dee, from Chilomoni in Blantyre, is a female rapper inspired into the hip-hop genre by local and international artists among them Rina, Young Kay, Kendrick Lamar and Iggy Azalea.
“I’ve been lip singing for a long time. But to get serious and coming up with my own stuff, I’ve started just now, Veke Mphete is my first track. I started recording when I started hanging at Bucci’s studio where I have been spending much time and always wanted to try out, that’s how it all started,” discloses Flo Dee, adding Bucci has been her greatest inspiration.
After releasing Veke Mphete, which also has a music video out, Flo Dee is currently working on another track titled Mafumu, which she indicates is more of an inspirational type of track.
“The concept is about us being Kings and Queens on the throne. It’s like in a royal family bloodline, how it’s meant to be that no matter what, we will be kings and queens one day, it’s just a growth process.
“The concept is wide, not only for musicians, but how some work hard in school to become somebody some day, how a woman works so hard to feed and provide a good life for her children so that one day she should see them become better parents than her and all, it’s all about hard workers who strive to make it to a good life one day,” she explains further.
Flo Dee adds that through the track she intends to prove what she is capable of and how serious she is about offering something to the music industry, saying she intends to speak for everyone.
“I’m a rapper and hip-hop is what I am in this for, but I’ll fuse Afro Pop and other genres with it. The good thing is that I am working full time with Bucci and Keim in the studio, so I am definitely under good guidance.
“I am a developing artist, but I’m not taking that as an excuse to limit myself from what to offer and what not to,” says Flo Dee.
