Chicago-based Sami Wolf doesn’t need any gimmicks to sell her raw blend of acoustic rap. She knows that just showing up is enough to set a precedence. “I don’t think there’s been another Jewish-addict- lesbian rapper so I’m trying to be the first to arrive at that party.”
Yes, she is gay. Most of her debut, See You on The Moon, is a bittersweet kiss-off to her ex-girlfriend. “When we used to say goodnight to each other, we would sign off with ‘I’ll see you on the moon.” After four years of roller-coaster highs and lows the two finally split for good. Songs like the single “Driving 90” channel the crushing aftermath of the split into breakneck, visceral poetry that conjures up the early work of Sage Francis.
Sami is also currently in recovery from drugs and alcohol. A childhood filled with neglect and abuse led to a lengthy struggle between using and rehabilitation until she discovered music and found purpose through her struggle. She has been sober ever since. One of only a handful of women who openly speak about addiction, Wolf now plays regularly around the city and pulls no punches in her raw performances. Last year she opened for the band Signal-to-Noise and front man Michael Downing offered to record her music that same night.
The resulting album, See You on The Moon, lands somewhere between the emotive melodies of Paloma Faith and the forthright flow of Yelawolf. “I started writing songs I wish I could have heard as a teenager. Songs that would have made me feel less like a minority” Sami reflects. “I hope to give listeners a sense of relief and importance.”
Today, Ghettoblaster has the pleasure of premiering “Driving 90,” which you can enjoy below:
(Stream and purchase See You on The Moon here:
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