Chicago and Oakland are in the building at Eli’s Mile High Club this Friday, bringing into town rap’s Queen of Slurpers, CupcakKe. The 20-year-old MC from Parkway Gardens (home of Chief Keef and Lil Reese) has carved a nice fanbase for herself – hence, “Slurpers” — off of what she calls her “freaky” tracks.

Songs such as her breakthrough track “Vagina,” “Deep Throat,” and “Juicy Coochie” from her 2015 debut Cum Cake draw your attention as an unapologetic raunch-fest riot. But as true Slurpers know, CupcakKe’s explicitness is just the tip of the iceberg. Delve deeper into her catalog and CupcakKe — born Elizabeth Harris — carries a rhyme scheme versatility that dives heavily into real-life scenarios and subjugations, talking about poverty, abuse, gender inequalities, and growing up poor. In short, CupcakKe is a storyteller, relaying her Southside Chi tales with pen, paper, and microphone in the booth.

Following up CupcakKe are a slew of Oakland’s own artists, including Tia NoMore and Green Ova, coupled with DJ sets from Fela Kutchi and Richie Panic. Tia NoMore, who has worked with HBK CJ, Iamsu!, Skipper, and Show Banga, staked her claim with her Holloween project back in 2015. Since then, the rap rookie has been quiet, but released “Reason” back in November 2016 for a slick reminder to not discount her own among the Town’s slew of freshman staking their claim to the soil.

Green Ova, on the other hand, are the veterans on this event’s bill, as their extensive catalog shows. The five members — Squadda B, MondreM.A.N., Dope G, Lo, and Shady Blaze — mainly operate as individual artists, sowing seeds all over the Bay Area and the greater California area, but are still operating and cohabitating as a single unit. The group is storied enough to have recently released a Greatest Hits compilation on Bandcamp, though Squadda B (one half of Main Attrakionz, alongside MondreM.A.N.) was also just featured on a new track by FITH called “And I Swear.” Despite the airy beats and deep-seated lyricism, it’s best to not sleep on Green Ova or any of their members, since you’ll never know where they’ll pop up next or when they’ll deliver another underground classic.

CupcakKe, Tia NoMore, Green Ova, Fela Kutchi, Richie Panic
Eli’s Mile High Club
August 25, 2017
8pm, $7