Festering in the belly of hip-hop is a humble, hungry voice screaming to emerge. Her lyrical vigor and reality-based drive fuels her metaphorical intensity - separating her from others and sanctifying her for exclusive use in the rap game. Setting booths and stages ablaze since the the start of her career, midwest emcee Bates pulls forward as a force to be reckoned with and a voice for those lost. After high school, Bates linked with a few notable spitters known for their lyricism and raw, cutting-edge content to form the hardcore rap group Xplicit. It wasn’t long before Bates began to stick out like a sore thumb. Her listeners became hypnotized by her rough, raspy tone and energetic delivery. As an unrepentant bar queen rising in the age of eroticism in female hip-hop, Bates’ edgy demeanor and nonconformist attitude gave her the extra edge needed to gain respect in a male-dominated and often misogynistic music industry. In 2006, Bates rele...