Rise To The Occasion

It's been ten years since Lauryn Hill's mythical solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, first hit listeners' ears. Since, the then-short list of female rappers has further dwindled, with more notable femcees locked behind bars than actually spitting them. Khia's out to change that. Infamously known for her sexually liberating anthem, 2002's "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)," Khia is stepping back into the national spotlight this spring as a contestant on VH1's Miss Rap Supreme, looking to add a notch to femme hip-hop, even if as a ringer. Elsewhere, her infatuation with Lil' Wayne and scathing blog posts about Trina and Janet have assured this chick is no one-hit wonder, at least not on the Web. As she prepares to drop her third LP, Nasti Muzik, KING-Mag.com got low with Khia just before her reality show debut aired.

KING Seeing you on Ego Trip's Miss Rap Supreme is like spotting Tiger Woods on a miniature golf course.
KHIA A lot of people are looking at it like, "Why?” But if you have a new album that's about to drop—and with as many reruns as VH1 shows, all over the world—that's what you need to do.

But your first album was certified gold.
People didn't understand how I was eligible to be on the show after already having success. But being an independent artist, I was still eligible. So I used it as a promotional tool. Not having a label or big machines as far as promotions goes—it didn't take a rocket scientist to know to do that.

How'd you get on the show?
I auditioned for it. It was like 6,000 girls that auditioned for it and I was chosen. I had fun.

During one episode of Ego Trip's The White Rapper Show last year, one rapper stuck a dildo in another's face. Does Miss Rap Supreme rival in drama?
I haven't seen that [show]. But you know it's definitely going to be drama. It shows how girls are in hip-hop, some of the struggles that we go through. So it's a hot show.

Hopefully, there's no rivalries as heated as you and Trina's. Something tells us that review you wrote on Myspace of her new album was a little, um, biased.
She put a new diss record ("She Ain't Nothing”) out the same day her album dropped. And I went and got the album to listen to the record and it wasn't on there. I was like, "Girl, you got an album you're trying to promote, why are you putting out diss records? Thank you for the promotion, but I'm not putting no diss records out because I don't feel you're talented. I'm going to do a review and then everybody will see my review of your album.”

So are you trying to checkmate by stealing Trina's former squeeze, Weezy F. Baby?
People have been trying to mix that with Trina. I'm not speaking on my personal relationship. If you read the blogs, then you know.

Then will you speak on your issues with Janet Jackson? Why did you call her a hater?
Janet called and wanted me to be on the "So Excited” song. It was no problem, I'm a fan of Janet. I wrote the hook and we shot the video, but when it aired, they edited me out and put me on the TV. I felt like she hated because if you didn't respect me as an artist, you shouldn't have ever called me to do the song. A lot of times, people just use who's hot right now to capitalize off of their fan base. I feel like that's what she did, because my fans wanted to see me. I made the song.

Well, let's talk about your own legacy. Would you be cool with just being remembered for "My Neck, My Back (Lick It)? ”
That's a huge contribution [to hip-hop]. I'm still getting royalties off that song. No female rapper has had a worldwide hit like me. That's why I'm the Queen. So I will eat off "My Neck, My Back” when I'm 50 years old, like Frankie Beverly and Maze. I'm never going to be a one-hit wonder, because as long as I create music for people to listen to, my fans are going to support me. I have people that listen to me just because I'm Khia. You have to write hits, you have to have concepts and melodies to have a solid fanbase. And that's what I have.

Time for the hot seat. Represent for Miss Rap Supreme by spitting something off the top.
I don't freestyle, I write hits. Freestyling is for free. You don't eat off freestyles. But make sure you watch the show. [Laughs].

**Hear Khia's 16 bars from Miss Rap Supreme's first episode here:

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