Apani Nicole Smith (born September 17, 1974) known professionally as Apani B. Fly, is an American hip hop emcee. In 1996 her first

12-inch single The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a "single" or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compa ...

, "Estragen", was independently released and shortly followed up by several high-profile guest appearances on projects with Organized Konfusion,

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

Pharoahe Monch Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.Edwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: ...

Nujabes , born , better known by his stage name Nujabes (; ), was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from Japanese hip hop, hip hop, soul music, soul, and jazz, a ...

and MF Doom. Her first full-length album, ''Rhyme-Related'' (as a member of Polyrhythm Addicts), was released in 1999.Polyrhythm Addicts discography
at

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

. She opened for acts such as

Fugees The Fugees () are an American hip hop group formed in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1990. The trio of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill was known for their fusion of hip hop, reggae, R&B, and funk; their socially conscious lyrics; and ...

and

Brand Nubian Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, composed of three emcees ( Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar), and formerly three DJs ( DJ Alamo, DJ Sincere, and DJ Stud Doogie). Their debut studio album, '' One for Al ...

. For the past decade, Apani has remained part of the NYC underground scene with frequent performances at S.O.B.'s, Lyricist Lounge, and the Nuyorican Poet's Cafe.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Rhyme Related'' (1999) * ''Story 2 Tell'' (2004)

Singles

Estragen / Soul Control (1998)

Featuring Helixx & Pri the Honey Dark of Anomalies, Heroine, Sara Kana (a.k.a. Lyric), Ayana Soyini,

Jean Grae Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae, is a multidisciplinary artist and writer. She emerged in New York City's underground hip-hop scene and developed an international following. Throughout her music career, ...

( f.k.a. What? What?), and Yejide. DJ Spinna is credited with producing the first four tracks (A1–4) on the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

with another three (A5, B4–5) attributed to GE-OLOGY, while Mike-One took credit for producing the Bonus Cuts (B6–10).

The Specialist / Perspective (1999)

Featuring

C-Rayz Walz Waleed Shabazz (born August 3, 1975), better known by his stage name C-Rayz Walz, is an American rapper from the Bronx, New York. He has been a member of the collective Stronghold. Early life Waleed Shabazz was born and raised in the Bronx, Ne ...

and Maylay Sparks.

Tags of the Times (1998)

Spot Me (2000)

Produced by Celph Titled.

Strive / Progress (2000)

Produced by

Abracadabra (2003)

Produced by DJ Spinna.

Laws (2003)

Laws (A1–2) produced by

, while ( f.k.a. Monorisick) remixed Strive.

No Matter (2005)

Produced by Hiro Kunado a.k.a. HIRO.

References

External links

* * * * An old interview with Apani, dating from March 3, 2001 {{DEFAULTSORT:B, Apani 1974 births Living people 21st-century American women rappers 20th-century American women rappers African-American women rappers Rappers from Queens, New York People from Hollis, Queens East Coast hip-hop musicians African-American songwriters Songwriters from New York (state) 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male rappers Underground rappers 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American women