Chicago, a city renowned for cultivating excellence, is not a place where success comes easily. It’s a battleground where the greats have had to fight tooth and nail to reach their pinnacle, and even after, continually proving their worth. At times, it may seem as if raw talent and fervor are insufficient to break through, and that one must rely on unpredictable cosmic alignments: being at the right place at the right time, forging beneficial connections, or simply stumbling upon sheer luck.

For a woman striving to make her mark in a genre predominantly ruled by men, and in an industry that promotes a hyper-masculine image, the odds can appear even more daunting. However, when an artist is driven by self-fulfillment rather than external validation, these challenges become inconsequential. When the love for music fuels a spirit, it becomes an internal driving force that propels one forward transforming them into an unstoppable force that never contemplates surrender, even when faced with adversity. Psalm One embodies that very spirt. She is an artist in every sense of the word; and a testament to perseverance and passion.

“I’m pretty sensitive... music has just always been a huge part of my life, to the point where, even when I didn’t necessarily know I wanted to have a career in it, it was always something that affected me... crying over music when i was 5 years old, just because it was so beautiful…. music has always been able to stir me in a way that nothing else ever has.”

Born into a family that loved and appreciated music, Psalm One became a student of the game early on. Whether it was her grandfather’s 8-tracks, her uncle and mother’s vast vinyl collections, or the music that filled their home, Psalm was constantly surrounded by a diverse range of genres - soul, reggae, pop, rock, hip-hop, and more. Her grandmother and aunts, who were gifted gospel singers, even recruited a reluctant young Psalm to sing in the church choir. But despite being steeped in music from her earliest days, Psalm’s decision to pursue it professionally was not as obvious as it might seem.

As a teenager, Psalm had been penning songs for a while, but never truly considered music as a potential career, focusing instead on other interests. Her first foray into a recording studio was during high school. It was an impromptu affair, with no pre-written songs, selected beats, or plans in place. These spontaneous moments would eventually lay the foundation for her dream to take shape.

Psalm went on to study chemistry at the University of Illinois, where she delved deeper into the local music scene and adopted the moniker Psalm One. She candidly shared that the name was chosen simply because it sounded cool and would look impressive graffitied on a building or doodled in notebooks. While her family’s gospel background may have subconsciously influenced her choice, it wasn’t the deciding factor. In her junior year, she collaborated with a persistent classmate who had been urging her to record music with him. This partnership resulted in her debut EP, WhipperSnapper, which was released during her senior year. The EP’s release party garnered local media attention and established Psalm One as a force to be reckoned with in the music scene. Before the release, music served as an escape from the rigorous demands of her chemistry studies, providing a balance between her analytical and creative pursuits. However, after the release, she began to see the potential of pursuing music professionally. She followed up with her first official album, aptly named Bio:Chemistry, and demonstrated her commitment by producing 1,000 copies of the CD. Selling these CDs herself through local record shops and direct sales taught Psalm how to manage herself as an artist and promote her music. These early experiences equipped her with the skills needed to launch a successful and prolific rap career.

“No management. I’ve had one manager my entire career, and that’s been ME...My homie Overflow between the years 2007 and like 2010 he was my manager, but other than that its just been me, and kinda like, figuring it out on my own...I would LOVE a manager at this point but its one of those things like, I need a manager that could do something for me that I haven’t done for myself”

Psalm's deep understanding of the music industry and the mindset of its consumers is evident. Having managed most aspects of her career, including promotion, booking, and maintaining relationships with the press, she exhibits a strategic approach to her craft. Her innovative approach to merchandise and marketing prompts one to wonder why others haven't adopted similar strategies. While she has released the standard musician's merchandise like t-shirts, she has also ventured into less common niche markets with items like coffee mugs and socks. In 2019, Psalm was presented with a new opportunity: a book pitch. Inspired by the writings of renowned music critic Jessica Hopper, Psalm realized she was not alone in her struggles and learned about the hardships other women faced in the male-dominated industry. Her music career had previously been marred by a well-documented fallout with record label Rhymesayers. After reading Hopper's work and realizing she had a story to tell, Psalm reached out to her for guidance on pitching a book. With Hopper's help, Psalm connected with Haymarket Publishing House and secured a book deal. However, 2020 brought its own set of challenges. The upheavals caused by COVID-19 and internal issues with the publishers put Psalm's book on hold, leading her to fear that her deal would fall through. By the time things started moving again, Psalm found herself in a different world. Living in Minneapolis during the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests, she witnessed the performative actions of her former Rhymesayers label mates who claimed to be community pillars but took little action when it mattered most. This period coincided with numerous abuse allegations circling Rhymesayers and the 'Boycott Rhymesayers' movement. These eye-opening experiences shifted the focus of her book from a personal love letter to 90s hip-hop into something far more revealing and substantial.

“From the years 2016 to 2019, I did not make any music. I was on a long hiatus, and I had to get my life together. Around 2015, I realized that my label was not handling me properly, and then I got blackballed... that for me was incredibly difficult, I hit a personal rock bottom during that time... moving away from Chicago, a friend of mine in Minneapolis who had alway kinda let me hide out at his crib was just like ‘come here, hide out for a few months, sober up a bit and figure out what’s next.’ In me doing that, I felt safe, being hidden and lowkey in Minneapolis, nobody knew I was there... I was keeping a low profile. Now fast forward to 2020, not only do people now know I’m there, but they kinda like brought up my name again, when Rhymesayers got called out again. To me, that was redemptive.”

In 2022, the release of her book “Her Word Is Bond: Navigating Hip Hop and Relationships in a Culture of Misogyny” marked a healing moment for Psalm One. In the precursor “This is my testimony” she states that "there aint no Human Resources in Hip Hop". Her words serve as a truthful look into what can happen in the worst of situations, and let people know to not be afraid or feel alone in their struggle.

“I would love to prevent harm in the future to some of these little girls and fembodied people and queer kids coming up in hip hop, and understanding that everything isn’t a safe space, everything isn’t for real, people will literally harm you in the name of music. Which sucks! Because music is like, the greatest!”

Psalm One is an artist in constant evolution. Her return to music unveiled a side of her that was distinct from her past persona. She has openly confronted her challenges and emerged stronger and more self-assured, having found forgiveness for herself and those who wronged her. At her core, Psalm is someone who profoundly loves music. She asserts, “Music is the best thing ever. I’ll always stand for music as a whole.” She contributes articles to the Chicago Reader, primarily focusing on the music industry and her community, and hosts on the Chicago discovery platform Audiotree. While music remains her therapeutic outlet, she’s not in a hurry to release a project but assures us that new music is on the horizon and that she will continue to write, create, and speak her truth.

BONUS CONTENT- Psalm One 10 movie recomendations:

• 1: Friday (1995)
• 2: Friday After Next (2002)
• 3: Trust None (2014)
• 4: Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
• 5: Do The Right Thing (1989)
• 6: The Matrix (1999)
• 7: Blacula (1972)
• 8: Bram Strokers Dracula (1992)
• 9: Blazing Saddles (1974)
• 10: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)