Three Portland locals, Jacque, a.k.a. J-Kronic (from left); Rose City Miss Chief; and Kheoshi, a.k.a. Lady Trinity, are on their way to making a impact in Portland’s urban music scene with their hip hop group Rose Bent.
Female trio Rose Bent will keep you movin’
By: Cari Hachmann
Blooming in our own City of Roses backyard is the lady hip-hop trio Rose Bent, featuring musical artists Kheoshi, a.k.a. Lady Trinity; Jacque; a.k.a. J-Kronic; and Rose City Miss Chief.
Refusing to let bent-necked pasts hinder their dreams, these strong-minded and educated ladies have made it their mission to represent the silenced voices of women in hip-hop.
The three Portland locals united last February after discovering each other’s talents during various solo performances in venues around town.
With shared musical influences like Tu-pac, Kanye West, Foxy Brown, Nas, and Mary J. Blige, Rose Bent offers an alternative to the male-dominated industry, with a woman’s self respect being a significant theme for their songs.
With their energizing beats, catchy lyrics, and a party-thumping stage presence, the female rappers are celebrating their debut self-titled album, “Rose Bent.” An official release party will take place on Friday, Dec. 3 at the Backspace. Lucky listeners just scoped out the group’s new jams at the pre-listening party earlier this month at Ash Street Saloon.
“The album is very diverse…it has something for everyone,” said Jacque, “It’s fun and full of energy, it’ll get you moving and even hardcore underground hip-hop fans will enjoy dissecting some of the metaphors and lyrical word play.”
Growing up, the members of Rose Bent weathered their own troubles; losing loved ones to gang violence, teen pregnancy, friends or family going to prison, and the list goes on. Yet, like the bent rose, each woman made room to flourish, and that is also on top of devoting countless hours every week to musical collaboration, rehearsals and performances.
Rose Bent now juggles a full-time work schedule, with community advocacy, single motherhood, and personal pursuits of higher education.
Over the summer of 2010, the trio triumphed on the Northwest hip-hop scene, liberating audiences with their infectious energy and likable lyrics at numerous community events, including the Peace & Unity Fest, the Northwest Hip Hop Fest, Silence Won’t Stop the Violence jam, 2010 Oregon Summer Jam, No Soy El Army Bilingual Peace Tour, Last Thursday Alberta Street Festival, and much more.
Three ladies bring a woman’s self respect to the local hip hop scene with their group Rose Bent. Pictured are Rose City Miss Chief (from left); Jacque, a.k.a. J-Kronic; and Kheoshi, a.k.a. Lady Trinity.
Rose Bent’s hard work paid off when “Let Me Entertain,” the first sizzling single off debut album Rose Bent, scored radio time on Wild 107.5 FM with host Cool Nutz. Fans can look forward to hearing more from these beat-bouncing ladies, as Rose Bent erupts far from mundane music on stages of Portland.
“We would like to share our music with the world. We want to help bring attention to the Northwest hip-hop scene and rep’ the City of Roses,” says Jacque. And as far as the rest goes, the ladies agree: “We will have plenty of time to sleep when we die.”
You can join the Rose Bent movement by following the trio on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. If you’re interested in having Rose Bent perform or just want to say hello, contact Rose Bent at ladiesofrosebent@gmail.com.
