Ready To Uff

  At first glance, one could be forgiven for not recognizing Uffie as a talented emcee whose unique mix of rap and electronica has propelled her to underground superstardom among the urban hipster set. A privileged nineteen-year-old white girl from Miami (though currently residing in Paris), Uffie is hardly the stereotypical face of hip-hop, and her style (or, debatably, lack thereof) has made her a lightning-rod for criticism from hip-hop purists who accuse her of co-opting their art form. Dismissing such accusations, Uffie has stated “People want to classify me as a rapper, but you can’t because it’s not me. I mix up everything and find my own style … I am not trying to be a rapper.” While Uffie may be stretching the facts by insisting that she isn’t rapping at all, her lyrical delivery does possess a certain hesitant cadence that combines with her sudden increases in pitch to create a truly distinct vocal sound. And with well over two million song plays on her MySpace profile to date, it looks like most listeners like what they hear regardless of the technical debate surrounding it.

  Born Anne-Catherine Hartley in Miami in December 1987, Uffie has been a truly international woman since she was only four years old, when her family moved to Hong Kong for her father’s work. Describing a particularly exciting trip that her family took during their time in Hong Kong, she has said “We decided to take time off and go sailing. There was a typhoon, so we followed a fishing boat into the Philippine Islands… But hit a reef. Our boat sank and the Coast Guard didn’t come, but the village people helped us out.” Uffie’s family then moved back to Florida, first to Fort Lauderdale and then to Miami once again. At age fifteen, she and her father made a fateful move to Paris, where she has lived ever since and without which her music career may have never happened.

  While living in Paris, Uffie booked DJ Feadz for a fashion show after-party that she was organizing, and the two subsequently hit it off, entering into a romantic relationship that continues to this day. Possibly sensing that Uffie’s vocals might be something special, Feadz asked her to rap over a remix of Audio Two’s seminal song “Top Billin’,” and Uffie’s first hit – “Pop the Glock” – was born. Quickly gaining the attention of listeners on MySpace, “Pop the Glock” made unlikely underground celebrities out of both Uffie and DJ Feadz before finally receiving an official release as a single by Paris-based electronic music label Ed Banger Records on Valentine’s Day 2006. Following on the heels of “Pop the Glock,” Uffie released two new tracks in mid-2006, including the undeniably catchy “Hot Chick,” in which she boastfully raps “Some like me to get drunk and wild, but the only thing you get tonight is my fuckin’ drink tab/Yes, I’m like [that] hot chick that you can’t even touch, I’m like this cold-ass bitch and I ain’t ready to suck”. In February 2007, a new Uffie track entitled “Dismissed” was included on Ed Banger Records’ second compilation album, Ed Rec Vol. 2. While Ed Banger Records owner Pedro Winter has stated that a solo album by Uffie will be released before the end of 2007, that release date may not be met as the album is nowhere in sight as of this article’s press time in early November.

  Uffie begins a tour of Asia in Beijing on November 30th, which will continue on to Shanghai, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Istanbul before landing her back in Europe for a show in Frankfurt on December 22nd, after which she will tour Australia from December 26th until January 6th, 2008. MP3s of both “Pop the Glock” and “Dismissed” can be purchased online at the iTunes music store, while her other songs – including “Hot Chick” – can be streamed from her MySpace profile.

About the author:

  Curtis is a writer specializing in politics, popular media and the entertainment industry. Based out of Vancouver, Canada, he graduated from Kwantlen University College with an Arts degree in 2006 and is now a contributing editor at TrendPimp magazine. His online portfolio can be found at CurtisSpring.com.