Tracee Ellis Ross Is 2014’s Most Unexpectedly Great Rap Critic

BB Gurl got skills!

October 10, 2014

Comedienne and actress Tracee Ellis Ross has taken up rapping and lyrical critiquing as a new hobby. In between staring in the new sitcom, Black-ish, and being an outspoken advocate of naturally beautiful women, Ellis Ross has offered up on-point renditions and critiques of today's trappiest rap songs, from Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan, and Tyga. Calling herself T Murda, she's pushing out these covers and takes on Vine, Instagram, and YouTube to her combined 620,000-plus followers, and in the process giving new groups like Rae Sremmurd a pretty big look.

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There's always some song you bounce along to in the car but have no idea what they're actually saying or what it means ...so I looked up the lyrics, rapped along (to practice my rap game) and then was like wait, whaaaat?!!? #noflexzone #WHATDOESTHISMEAN????

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After dabbling in the song, Ross gives a didactic breakdown of the nuances of the No Flex Zone but then, sadly, she mispronounces the Atlanta duo's tongue-twisting name: "Rae Shmmmerder?" "Raeshmer?" "Reshmernder?"

Here's her take on Rich Gang's "Lifestyle."

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…by popular demand I spit 😳#Lifestyle by #RichGang featuring @thuggerthugger1 (@youngthug) & @richhomiequan! #ymcmb STAY TUNED!!!

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The time she called out Rich Homie Quan for his repetitive lyrics:

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#TMurda has a @richhomiequan breakthrough! #Lifestyle #youngmoney #ymcmb #richgang

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Stretching her vocal register to reach for Thug's screechy falsetto:

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#TMurda is slippin...#Lifestyle #RichGang featuring @thuggerthugger1 and @richhomiequan! STAY TUNED FOR MORE #ymcmb

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Her review of "Hookah" sadly mistook Young Thug for Tyga.

 

But mispronounced names and mistaken identities be damned. Ellis Ross has legit lyrical prowess, and we eagerly await her rap literary criticism seminar and/or debut mixtape, whichever comes first.

Posted: October 10, 2014
Tracee Ellis Ross Is 2014’s Most Unexpectedly Great Rap Critic