CHARLESTON’S NO.1 HOT GIRL PORAA IS MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF

Charleston native and indie rapper Poraa exudes an artistic conviction gleaned from years of shaping her image since long before she stormed into the local music scene in 2020. Poraa’s in your face rap has surpassed a million streams, yet, she considers herself a shy person behind the scenes and was hesitant to even share her first song. And while it’s no secret that women are underrepresented in the hip hop industry, Poraa calls the local support she has received overwhelming. Local magazine Black Business Prosperity named her female rap music artist of the year in 2021, solidifying her as a noticeable force in the Lowcountry. “My hometown — they support me 100%,” Poraa told us. Taking inspiration from Crime Mob’s female rappers Princess and Diamond, as well as Lil’ Kim and City Girls, the hard hitting lyricism and rapid tempo on Poraa’s most recent album 10 Steps Ahead reflects southern rap proficiency and girl power prowess. “I don’t want to be a female rapping about kicking in doors — I don’t do that,” Poraa said. “I can rap about what I do or what females do. The things that I say in rap are the things that females are scared to say. They like my music because I’m saying what they’re thinking, and now they have an excuse to say, ‘I can say this because it’s an art now.’ Poraa said each track on 10 Steps Ahead started as a freestyled verse she developed as a songwriter, playing off themes or ideas she uncovered spontaneously in her stream of consciousness. She then perfected the material verse by verse at Str8 Drop Studio in North Charleston. While Poraa is accustomed to doing featured verses on other artists’ songs, she said