Oompa Slam Dunks On the Naysayers in New Track LEBRON
Listen to the premiere via AudioFemme HERE
WATCH LEBRON HERE
One of Boston’s most successful rappers – NPR
Oompa has emerged from her apocalyptic meditation looking ‘fly as hell but highly dangerous’ – Vanyaland
Oompa’s doing something big – Out Front Magazine
Visionary – Performer Mag
Acclaimed Boston rapper Oompa has released her hard-hitting new single and video LEBRON on all streaming platforms. Stream the single HERE.
LEBRON is a powerful track about doing what one wants, while others do what they can. With a nod to legendary basketballer LeBron James, Oompa plays with linguistics by repurposing the word into a verb in honor of James’ resilience despite the odds. ‘LEBRON’ is about feelin’ yourself, defying the naysayers, and the battles no one knows about. Wielding her signature low and breathy rapping style over the hardest beat since she’s dropped since Cleo N Nem, Oompa channels old-school hip-hop sentiment, seamlessly riding the beat and changing up her flow in a style akin to Kendrick Lamar or Vince Staples. LEBRON embodies Oompa’s statement-making approach to lyricism, rooted in early beginnings as a spoken word poet.
To me, it’s not about the everyday victory; it’s the commitment to the long haul. To the joy of giving your craft everything you have for as long as you can. It is finding victory in going above your own limitations so that you can get what you want. That’s what I mean when I say, I Lebron, shares Oompa.
Part of a series of ten thematic visuals shared from her forthcoming album UNBOTHERED, LEBRON taps into a similar aesthetic and playful vibe as seen in her most recent release GO, including the return of her oh-so-cool retro Ford Mustang. In the video, we find Oompa and crew tearing it up on the basketball court, with Oompa naturally slaying the game, (in a Celtics jersey, of course) whilst her confused opponents look on. With an unmistakable sense of swagger, Oompa leaves her mark as the GOAT, before hitting the gas on the Mustang, love interest in tow, continuing on their carefree adventure.
Whether or not you’re on the court, in the court, or just trying to get out of bed when life is hard, this is an anthem for beating your personal best each time you do anything, and bragging to your SELF on your SELF when you do.
LEBRON is the second single from forthcoming album UNBOTHERED and follows the release of GO (ft. Dan DeCristofaro) which garnered attention from Def Jam’s Here Comes The Break, Vanyaland, and The Hype Magazine. Since arriving on the music scene in 2016, Oompa’s poetic prowess has seen her winning the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam, as well as sharing stages with the likes of Charli XCX, 24KGoldn, Tinashe, UMI, and Rico Nasty. With her penchant for making a positive impact on the world and undeniable skills as a rapper, Oompa is an artist that should be on every rap fan’s radar.
Stay tuned for more from Oompa very soon.
About OOMPA
OOMPA is a nationally acclaimed, Boston-born, poet, rapper, and educator, who is forever representing the queer, black, orphaned, hood kids n’ them. She was named one of NPR’s 2020 Slingshot Artists to Watch and her engaging, interactive performing style won her the Boston Music Award for Live Act of the Year in 2019, following her 2018 Unsigned Artist of the Year victory among an unprecedented 12 total nominations. In a 2019 feature, WBUR’s the Artery describes the lyric-focused rapper as having a natural tenderness with language and calls her verses funny…incisive and memorable. Oompa showed this poetic prowess as the winner of the 2017 Women of the World Poetry Slam and a finalist in the 2016 National Poetry Slam. With the release of her newest album, Cleo, Oompa has sold out the Sinclair and a number of other Boston venues.
In November 2020, Oompa dropped her most recent single entitled Closer along with a striking visual component. The song showcases a new sonic direction for her music and the lyrics convey a refusal to falter or be reactionary in the face of multiple global crises; the pandemic and an intense awakening about what it means to be Black in the world. This song isn’t a promise to be a cure to the world’s ills, but something that aims to counter the effects of the poison. Her next project, Unbothered is set to release in Fall 2021.
