Corina Corina has traveled all across the country, from the bustling streets of Brooklyn to the southern draw of South by Southwest, and now the contemporary hip-hop artist will make her way to Athens.
“I’m an R&B singer but I’m different than most contemporary artists,” Corina said. “I try and keep it edgy, and I work primarily with hip-hop producers who don’t normally work with singers to have that contrast between a pretty voice and gritty beats.”
The up-and-coming artist is fresh off a SXSW appearance and will join the U-Drop hip-hop showcase Saturday at Donkey Coffee and Espresso, 17 ½ W. Washington St.
Her bio described the singer as a woman with the sexy edge of Aaliyah, the sassiness of Lana Del Rey, and the vulnerability of Frank Ocean, which comes through in her truthful lyrics.
“ ‘I Am Free,’ the last song on the album, is about depression,” Corina said. “I’ve suffered from chronic depression my whole life … I try to be really honest in my lyrics and represent different struggles that may not be discussed a lot, and I really want the song to capture how it feels.”
Her 15-track album displays Corina’s shoulder tattoo on the cover, donning the album’s title, The Eargasm, which is available on Bandcamp on a name-your-price basis.
The fourth single off the album, “Birds,” also shows the vulnerable side to Corina’s music. The track includes a metaphor of birds clipping their own wings, comparing the scene to a friend who wasn’t supportive of Corina when she started to succeed.
“I felt like when I was thriving within my relationships and my career, she wasn’t around very much,” she said. “I didn’t want it to be a negative song where I’m attacking the person; I wanted it to be like, ‘Come with me.’ ”
Troy Gregorino, booking agent for Donkey Coffee, jumped at the opportunity to bring an artist he saw as very innovative in the hip-hop scene.
He added that the back room may seem like an odd place for a hip-hop show but it has been very successful in the past.
“It sounds almost counter-intuitive with the reputation of the back room,” Gregorino said. “But when we have hip-hop shows back there, it really transforms the atmosphere into a really lively fun space, into something bigger than it really is.”
wh092010@ohiou.edu
