When New York rapper Katorah Marrero, aka Young M.A, released “OOOUUU” in 2016, its low-key braggadocio, minimal instrumental track, and easy, in-the-pocket flow quickly made it inescapable—and turned Young M.A into one of the most celebrated names in hip-hop. The following year, she included the song on the 2017 EP Herstory, and she’s spent most of the past two years working on her debut full-length, Herstory in the Making (M.A. Music/3D), which dropped in September. Life moves pretty fast (to miscontextualize a Ferris Bueller quote turned meme), but hip-hop races along in hyperdrive, and the time Young M.A spent out of the spotlight working on her album has felt like an eternity. Fortunately, her performances on Herstory in the Making prove she put those years to good use—she infuses even her iciest, fiercest lines with emotional depth. The record’s 21 tracks total nearly 70 minutes, and instead of focusing on an obvious single, Young M.A has made sure every second counts. v
Fri 11/22, 7 PM, Subterranean, 2011 W. North, sold out, all-ages
