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 surfac ...

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

Organized Konfusion Organizing or organized may refer to: * Organizing (management), a process of coordinating task goals and activities to resources * Community organizing, in which communities come together to act in their shared self-interest * Professional organi ...

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He earned recognition early on through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with ...

Pharoahe Monch Troy Donald Jamerson (born October 31, 1972), better known by his stage name Pharoahe Monch, is an American rapper from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. He is known for his complex lyrics, intricate delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhy ...

Nujabes , better known by his stage name , was a Japanese record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer and arranger best known for his atmospheric instrumental mixes sampling from hip hop, soul, and jazz, as well as incorporating elements of trip hop, b ...

and

MF Doom Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...

. Her first full-length album, ''Rhyme-Related'' (as a member of

Polyrhythm Addicts Polyrhythm Addicts is a hip hop group composed of DJ Spinna, Mr Complex, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Tiye Phoenix. The lineup on its first album included Apani B, but she was replaced by Phoenix when the group reunited in 2007. 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. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...

. She opened for acts such as

Fugees Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in the early 1990s. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to fame with i ...

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 All' ...

. For the past decade, Apani has remained part of the NYC underground scene with frequent performances at S.O.B.'s,

Lyricist Lounge The Lyricist Lounge is a hip hop showcase of rappers, emcees, DJs, and Graffiti artists. It has spawned the album '' Lyricist Lounge, Volume One'', ''Lyricist Lounge 2'' and '' Lyricist Lounge & Ecko Unlimited presents: Underground Airplay'', ...

, 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 (formerly What? What?), is an American rapper from Manhattan, New York City. Jean rose in the underground hip hop scene in New York City and has built an international f ...

( f.k.a. What? What?), and Yejide.

DJ Spinna Vincent E. Williamsbetter known by his stage name DJ Spinna, is an American hip hop and deep house producer from Brooklyn. According to Allmusic, he has "remained strictly an underground artist despite his astonishing talent." Life and career Spi ...

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 phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

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, New ...

and Maylay Sparks.

Tags of the Times (1998)

Spot Me (2000)

Produced by Celph Titled.

Strive / Progress (2000)

Produced by

Abracadabra (2003)

Produced by

Laws (2003)

Laws (A1–2) produced by

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

No Matter (2005)

Produced by Hiro.

References

External links

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