The female rap scene and genre of rap are competitive and not a girl’s girl environment after being predominantly male. The early days of rap consists of Lil Kim, Da Brat, and Missy Elliot to name a few as the blueprints to the female rap scene we have today. This mainly started with black women and their lifestyles making a name for themselves based on their version of rap and poetry of their struggles turned into beautiful pieces of art and culture.
Cleotrapa has had her own lane to create and expand in long before Ice Spice, and made it clear she did not need a handout. The two were friends for a couple of months with Cleotrapa walking arm and arm with Ice Spice in her music video “In Ha Mood”. Ice asked Cleo to join her for her Y2K tour dated July 4, 2024 to January 5, 2025. At first, Cleo denied telling her he had work to do in New York, but later changed her mind and went. She performed her hit song “Rockstar”with her stage presence gaining her attention, praise, and a fanbase. It was a no-brainer for fans to give Cleotrapa her attention as she brought more to the table than Ice Soice ever did in her (what many believe) short-lived career. The love she was getting from the audience was nothing compared to how she was being treated off-stage.
No Love Backstage
Hospitality deosn’t go a long way when you invite someone over. Maybe you ask your guest if they would like to something to eat or drink at some point in their visit or maybe you would ask what you could do to make their stay more pleasant or enjoyable. Cleo didn’t get any of these as she was left to starve while Ice and her team went out to get food. She didn’t have a proper dressing room to get ready for her opening for Ice nor did she have help with her bags only to be told that Ice’s helpers don’t get paid to help Cleo. Hearing Cleo’s story on social media platforms such as TikTok would make anyone believe that Ice was jealous of her. Due to the fact that she was an entertainer who didn’t have to try hard and shake some ass every five minutes, and look bored when doing so, but the real reason being that Cleo’s music isn’t anywhere near as obnoxiously catchy as Ice Spice’s. Music listeners quickly grew tired of Ice Spice and strongly believed she needed a rebrand if not someone else to take her spot.
Black artists sometimes never get the attention and recognition they deserve when it comes to their art. For a rising artist like Cleotrapa her story could just be what she needed for those who support underdogs and talented people who go unnoticed out
