Rapsody Drops New Single "Don't Need It" ft. Merna

"Fuck what them say, I don't need it," we hear in the opening moments of North Carolina MC Rapsody's new track. With the vocal assistance of Merna and production work courtesy of Young Guru, "Don't Need It" comes across as the perfect song for the artist who's seen her profile drastically rise on account of her prominent feature on Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly. The song is an aural banishing of a competitor's negativity, but could also be taken to be a declaration of self-sufficiency; Rapsody has the talent and drive to be known and heard on her own terms. She is so much more than just the "female rap feature" from Lamar's late masterpiece.

Guru's production keeps the drums crisp and uptempo throughout the song's four minutes, and Rapsody's verses cut hard and fast in the way that we've come to expect from the veteran performer. ("I don't need your emo beats, all I want is soul and funk" has to be one of our favorite lines in recent memory.) "Don't Need It" can be found on the deluxe re-release of her Beauty and the Beast LP, which as a matter of fact just dropped today. Pick up that release on iTunes here and listen to Rapsody's newest joint below.