Shay

As Shay once said: “Femininity is built in the face of others.” Faced with a predominantly male hip-hop scene, Shay has not only established herself as an accomplished female rapper, but also as a woman of action. She has created her own style, founded her own label, and is in full control of her creative decisions – the right down to the smallest detail.

One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman. At only 30 years old, Shay is fully aware of this. As the granddaughter of Tabu Ley Rochereau, the distinguished Congolese musician best known for pioneering rumba on the international stage, Vanessa Lesnicki and her family grew up in Brussels. Mature beyond her years, she was a young girl with the odd silly streak: yet while her loved ones lamented her pressing desire for independence, her grandfather encouraged her to sing. He was also the one who nicknamed her Shay, meaning “She who brings light” in Yansi. With her brothers, including her twin brother who is known in his own right as Le Motif, she’d record herself on cassette. Even before she knew how to read, she was already coming up with songs and melodies in her head, inventing musical stories.

Later, iconic, American, female singers such as Mary J. Blige, Lil’ Kim, Lauryn Hill, Tracy Chapman and even Foxy Brown paved the way for her. Although Shay rejects the frenzied and hyper-sexualised American star system, she is none the less inspired by these artists’ creative mastery. Aside from Diam’s, there are very few examples in the French-speaking world. And so, Shay started to make a name for herself on the Brussels scene, as a rare female artist who plays with punchlines, over-turning ego trips that have long been overrun by misplaced masculinity. Why mourn the loss of a man when single life is actually freedom from a burden? Why make people believe women can’t live without men and that we’re not capable of using them as we please? Deeply feminist down to the core without identifying with a particuar cause, Shay’s lyrics hit the spot. In 2011, she invited a dumbfounded Booba to join her in the studio on her track Cruella, and on stage at Bercy arena. As her name is gradually gaining traction in France, she never fails to lose sight of her beloved hometown, Brussels. This new wave of Belgian hip-hop has echoes of its African ancestors and is influenced by American productions – without reproducing social norms. Splashed with humour and a gift of the gab, the sound is sweeping through France thanks to artists like Shay, without fear or reproach.  Her albums Jolie garce (2016) and Antidote (2019) cemented her lyrical status thanks to powerful beats blasting her to-die-for vocals, pragmatic flow and sexy look. For Shay, clothes are just another way to express herself in a fun and amusing way. With a nod to punk rebellion and sleek streetwear cuts, Shay is well aware that after centuries of slavery, Black people have been able to regain their dignity and flamboyant elegance through their appearance. And fashion never gets it wrong: not only did Riccardo Tisci make her the face of Burberry, but in 2020, Shay was the first French-speaking Black artist to pose on the cover of Vogue Japan. With a blunt-cut bob and graphic lines, her presence radiated the shoot, so too her desire to pave the way for other young talent. For someone who has long searched for role models in magazines and music videos, she seized this opportunity for international exposure militantly driven by altruism. Her motivation remained the same when Netflix approached her to be a part of the jury on Rhythm + Flow, the French version of the US talent show. Shay will be scouring the streets of Brussels, the place where she herself made her voice heard, to the find rappers of tomorrow. In 2023, Shay’s third album will cement her multi-facetted personality, one driven by authenticity and an innate sense of showmanship. With a decade-long career to her name, defending uncompromising femininity and asserting Black empowerment, the rapper has rarely shined so brightly in a rap constellation that still can’t believe it has such a star in its ranks.