By James Dinh
Even though it has been 20 years since the release of Queen Latifah's All Hail the Queen, female rappers are still a relatively endangered species. Kanye West protégé Kid Sister hopes to change all that. On Wednesday evening (November 19), the rapper held an album release party in support of the release of her debut album Ultraviolet (which hits stores this Tuesday, November 17) to a group of friends, family and fans.
The event was hosted at the Griffin Lounge on Manhattan's Lower East Side, which was quite a grand setting for party, with its the enormous golden chandelier. The scene might have been perfect for a time of celebration, but for Kid Sister, things haven't always been so glamorous. Before launching a career in rap, she and her parents suffered through a financial disaster that took up most of her adolescence. It must have only motivated her more, as she went on to graduate from Columbia College in Chicago with a degree in film. In 2005, she decided to get involved in the rap game and caught the attention of Kanye. He signed the then 27-year-old to DJ A-Trak's label Fool's Gold, and she later landed another deal with Downtown Records. Ever since then, the Chicago-based rapper has been hard at work creating her debut album, which includes the track the buzzworthy track "Pro Nails" (featuring mentor West). The first single off Kid Sister's debut album is the house-infused track "Right Hand Hi" and is wrapping up a national tour with DJ Flosstradamus.
One thing the grandiose room was missing for most of the night? Kid Sister herself, who was delayed because of her visit to the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards, which were taping uptown. Still, it was a great night that felt like an appropriate celebration for an artist who stuck to her guns and ended up on top.
Lollapalooza may be a massive festival that draws people from all over the country, but in a lot of ways it belongs to the city that hosts it. What was once a traveling rock caravan has become a fixture here, occupying the entirety of Grant Park and then some, right on the shores of Lake Michigan, and surrounded by the city skyline including the iconic John Hancock building. 
