Ivorian Doll born Vanessa Mahi is a German-born musical artist that relocated to East London at the age of three. Mahi was a Youtuber before “accidentally” stumbling upon her now-successful rap career. Her stage name is a direct link to her Ivorian heritage. She made her musical debut with a collaborating artist, Abigal Asante. Her debut single was “Queen of Drill” and this skyrocketed her solo career. She has completely revolutionized the UK drill scene with her smash hit song “Rumors”. Ivorian Doll used this song to criticize the misogynistic practice of slut-shaming. Her lyricism is what I enjoy most about her music. Although she has a distinctive voice, it always seems to fit the song she’s rapping on. I found myself dancing and trying to learn the lyrics as I listened to her, and the assurance with which she rapped made me feel every word.
In the song, she goes as far as to say
“Oh shit, I heard a rumor IVD is a thot
They said I’m leaking from the STDs that I got
They say I fucked **** **** and **** **** **** “
For me, this bar solely defines the true meaning of the song. Her forthrightness in taking direct aim at those who were spreading gossip about her was fantastic for the song. She took charge of the stories being circulated about her and essentially said, “So what?” She had a lot of detractors who were trying to bring her down, but she decided to turn the tables on them by making them look immature for even trying. When a woman becomes popular, she has a tendency to be portrayed in this way. Either they are compared against one another for silly reasons, or the explanation for their success is that they had relationships with managers or promoters, which obscures their true abilities.
Ivorian Doll made the decision to dismantle the molds that media outlets and critics were trying to fit her into in order to forge her own distinct identity and her own path. I believe she will have a long-lasting influence on the British hip-hop scene, and I can’t wait to watch what else she might have in store for us next.
