This week, Rapsody teamed up with ESPN to deliver her latest single “Dust To Diamonds,” a powerful number that features Faouzia and sees the North Carolina emcee paying homage to a wealth of female athletes throughout:
“Jean King, my gloves swing, I made ’em see stars and thrillers, Laila Ali, ran thе track like Flo Jo, nail me to the crossеs, X Games, Kelly Clark’s, pipe down, made ’em do it, arenas scream, ‘Serena,’ this like Jesus music, never seen nobody body like she bodied with that body, Jesus Christ, counting all the crosses, Diana Taurasi, hella nice, veins filled with hella ice (Yeah), so why I need the jewelry? I put a spin on everything, yeah, I’m Kristi Yamaguchi…”
The track was first premiered during this year’s espnW Summit in New York City, which — according to the official press release — took place to “gather a distinctive group of leaders and change-makers at the intersection of sports, business, and entertainment for a day of conversation and reflection about the women + sports space.” Said event also honored Title IX, a federal civil rights law that sees its 50th anniversary of being signed into law this year. Specifically, the law bans any sex-based discrimination within any education entity or program that receives federal government funding.
It’s been three years since Rapsody liberated her third studio LP Eve, which contained 16 songs and additional contributions from Leikeli47, J. Cole, GZA, D’Angelo, Elle Varner, SiR, JID, Queen Latifah, and more. Somewhat like “Dust To Diamonds,” the conceptual release saw every song dedicated to her heroes, and received widespread acclaim for its fresh and unique approach. As such, it’s hopeful that a new body of work lies somewhere on the proverbial horizon.
Press play on Rapsody and Faouzia’s “Dust To Diamonds” (produced by DJ Frank E and Rice & Peas) below.