Tampa native Betty Dawl is the furthest thing from a conventional rapper. For starters, her petite frame and imaginative style challenge the long-thought physical stereotype of a true emcee. Yet, what’s even more interesting is that the 23-year-old doesn’t even consider herself to be a lyricist, but rather a poet.
“I’m naturally a poet,” Dawl said. “Even when I’m talking to people, I’ll be naturally rhyming.”
As an adolescent, Dawl had a great interest in English. “I remember being in school and not taking any subject seriously,” Dawl said. “But when they started teaching English I was like, ‘Woah this is cool.’”
It wasn’t until the age of 11 that poetry would play a major role in Dawl’s life. In the fifth grade, Dawl read her first poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” which led to her infatuation with words. “‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ was so psychedelic,” Dawl said. “There was so many metaphors and symbolism. Symbolism just blew my mind.”
Since then, Dawl has made poetry her way of existence. “It’s just one of those things that’s a piece of me,” Dawl said. “All the aspects of poetry really inspire me.” Her other creative talents such as DJing, producing, and writing music have spawned from her poetic inclinations. “I just started composing songs maybe a year or two ago,” Dawl said. “It’s just escalated now, like I can’t stop.”
Dawl’s DJing skills are inherently her own as well. For about a year now, Dawl has served as what she best describes as an “atmosphere giver” for local venues throughout the Tampa area. Friday nights you can find the 5’2” beaut chopping and screwing some of her favorite tunes at Czar. “I don’t even call myself a DJ,” Dawl said. “I’m more of a blender.”
Although Dawl’s eclectic sound isn’t readily available on the web yet, support for her work is steadily increasing throughout Tampa Bay, as witnessed during her first show in Ybor City.
Dawl performed in front of a packed crowd for the very first time on Sept. 21 at the staple Ybor venue, The Social. “I was definitely nervous because I had never done anything like that before,” Dawl said. In spite of her nerves, Dawl’s musical variety was definitely a crowd-pleaser. The track “Savvy Microsoft Word Shawty” was only a taste of Dawl’s effortless wordplay and an informal invitation into her experimental realm. “The fact it was so packed made me feel so much love,” Dawl said. “That is why I exist, to bring people together.”
The wait for Dawl’s music to hit the Internet will soon come to a close next month. On Nov. 11, Dawl’s first project Poetic Resume is slated to make its debut. “I’m ready to get it off my chest,” Dawl said. “The new stuff I’ve been working on is way different.”
Kai Miller can be reached at Kai.miller@theminaretonline.com.