When Your EDM premiered Yaysh, a triple threat rapper, singer and songwriter who pushes up against a number norms with both her music and her gender-bending style, it was for a relatively tame single and video called “Twisted.” The video and song were do-wop-inspired and had a fun, lighthearted theme. They showcased Yaysh’s incredible vocal talent but not so much her rap and hip hop chops. Of course there were two other singles with videos prior to “Twisted” which took a much harder line in terms Yaysh’s style and aesthetic: “Daep” and “Bitch I’m the Shit” bordered on modern gangster rap.
Yaysh’s newest video for “Fuck Jam & PB&J” (we couldn’t put the full track names in the title for obvious reasons) is actually a medley two tracks that will be on her upcoming album and they’re about as racy you might expect from title. The interesting thing about Yaysh from day one has been her highly sexual yet quite masculine hip hip image juxtaposed against an absolutely angelic singing voice and a lot art-driven imagery. It’s quite stark. Most her videos, “Fuck Jam & PB&J” included, open with a beautiful vocal solo that’s quite tender and emotional with music to match, then switch over to the rapped portion the song (or in this case songs) where Yaysh’s absolutely filthy rapped lyrics as center stage. It’s quite a flip but somehow works in the context Yaysh’s weird and wild personality.
The video for “Fuck Jam & PB&J” matches the trajectory the song. It opens with Yaysh singing sweetly in front a city backdrop but then when the hip hop trap beat comes, it suddenly switches to Yaysh in a strip club (albeit a classy, extremely artsy strip club), getting a lap dance while she sings and raps the aforementioned lyrics. A similar motif is present in the third part the video, which is some sort metaphorical PB&J sex party, once again posing Yaysh as a sort gd-out pimp figure with lots much more lipstick girls. Booties jiggling, money flying and hip hip styling will make audiences think they’re watching a Travis Scott video, but for the pixie-voiced tomboy in the center it all. It’s a head-scratcher in the best possible way.
It’s clear with both her imagery and music that Yaysh means to challenge a number norms: visual, sexual, gender bias and, perhaps the biggest all, what constitutes a hip hop artist. She does it unapologetically and, despite her gangster pimp persona, with no pretense whatsoever. With her polished style and ample talent, Yaysh may very well be poised to lead the charge in creating a new standard for how hip hop and any mainstream music looks and sounds.
Yaysh’s debut album is due out in Spring this year. In the meantime, check out her YoutTube channel for more videos and single releases. She’s also got a playlist on Spotify, which will be updated as more tracks are released.