Many people who frequent the dining hall at the Dobbs University Center don’t really know the food service workers outside of their daytime jobs. Some have other jobs and others are working toward college degrees. Some, like Bizuayehu Kassa, are chasing their dreams. Kassa, also known as Bebe, is an up-and-coming rapper. A lot of people are already familiar with her song, “Bad B*tch Looking for a Trapstar,” featuring Waka Flocka. Born in Suda, Bebe came to the Unites States as a refugee at the age of three and relocated to Atlanta from San Jose, California. She is full Ethiopian and is a nursing student at Georgia Perimeter. Not only does she have an interesting story to tell, but also everyone loves her!
Her Campus Emory (HCE): Who or what was your biggest inspiration to become a rapper?
Bizuayehu Kassa (BK): My biggest inspiration is Tupac Shakur. I fell in love with him when I was in grade school. My mother bought me his “Greatest Hits” album and I knew all of the lyrics two days later. The first day I went to the studio with the producer of “Bad B****” I stopped being shy and I realized that I could actually pursue music. I feel like music is my way to express how I feel and I know this is just the beginning of a promising future. Like I say in one of my mixtape verses, “I ain’t in it for the money, I just want the power.”
HCE: How did you promote your music to Emory students?
BK: They say ‘word of mouth’ is a very effective way of communication, so every time I swiped a card, I let the students know that I am an artist and that I have a song on YouTube. They proceeded to ask how can they see it, so I wrote the link on pieces of papers with my twitter info, kind of like business cards. A few students then passed on the info to their friends and so on and so on.
HCE: What was it like having Emory students come up to you singing your song?
BK: About a week after giving students my “business card,” I had students coming up to me asking me about my song and reciting the hook to my song. It gives me butterflies in my stomach because I feel like this shows that I am a couple steps away from achieving my goal. I would have never thought that one or two people could promote me so well that eventually most of the student body knew my name and my song.
HCE: How did you meet Waka Flocka?
BK: I met him randomly one day when he came to the studio I was working at. I was working on a beat trying to come up with a hook with my producer Mike. As I was practicing my delivery, Waka came into the room and liked the beat and said he would like to get on the song. At the time I didn’t know who he was, I only knew that he was nice and his music was good and Mike then arranged for him to get on the song.
HCE: What are you currently working on?
BK: Currently I am working on my mixtape, which is due to be released mid April. I have a lot of different sides of me so I want to show people all of this. I have my cultural side, rock, pop and rap music in my mixtape, so be ready to be amazed with lyrical excellence and a new side of music. I have been in the studio for countless hours to make sure I keep productive. I am a perfectionist, so you know I will make sure I come out with a big hit.
Twitter:imbebebbgz
Facebook:Bizuayehu Bebe Kassa
Website:reverbnation.com/bebebbgz
YouTube:bbgtvatl
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emory chapter.