It's official: Lupita Nyong'o can do it all. On Sunday, Nyong'o showed off her rapping skills in celebration of reaching 3 million followers on Instagram. She rapped to the beat of Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind," but rather than using his lyrics, she gave it some new words with help from actor Miriam A. Hyman (aka Robyn Hood). She also credited Katelyn Manley as the director in her IG caption. And when she's rapping, you better just call the Oscar winner by her rap name, "Troublemaker." Everything about Nyong'o rapping exudes confidence, and if you listen to what she's actually saying, it's empowering. From her career to her animal activism to embracing her heritage, the Queen of Katwe star is proving all over again why she is an inspiration.
Her rap begins,
"Mexican born, Kenya running through my veins/Dark chocolate, plus I keep a sharp mane/Lancôme fresh-faced, looking tailor-made/Disney on the books, so you know I stay paid/Next stop Katwe, rocking out with David/Don’t do critics — if you’re hating, please save it."
She is was born in Mexico to Kenyan parents and grew up in Kenya, and is proud of that fact. She also raps about the color of her skin and her hair showing how much she loves herself inside and out. She is also a spokesperson for Lancôme beauty products, which shows that her profession extends farther than just acting.
Then, you can't fault her for bragging about her career with Disney (Queen of Katwe, The Jungle Book) and getting paid the big bucks. When she mentions "David," she means David Oyelowo, her Katwe co-star. Finally, what's truly powerful is hearing Nyong'o voice how she doesn't deal with haters, so if you're going to bash her, don't bother. Based on just those lyrics, she is one of the most empowering rappers ever.
Her rap didn't end there, because she continued, "Ambassador for elephants trying to save the planet/ I’m working on my master plan stunting in a hammock." Later on, she raps, "Some play to eat, but we eat to play/Speak four languages doing deals in Spanish/Hit 'em with my autograph, poof I vanish."
For those unaware, Nyong'o is a Global Elephant Ambassador for WildAid, which is why she raps about saving elephants and the planet. Of course, she also includes how she can speak four languages, because that's definitely worth rapping about. The fact that she boasts about her accomplishments and achievements in a tasteful manner, too, is further proof of how endearing Nyong'o is and continues to be.
We all agree that she needs to put out a rap album as Troublemaker ASAP, right?
