One to Know
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For Singaporean rapper Masia One, music is the best medicine, especially when it comes to easing the feelings of uncertainty due to the spread of coronavirus. That’s why she has roped in fans and fellow musicians to work on a “social distancing mixtape” featuring songs that would bring humanity closer, while also exploring the deeper psychological and emotional effects of social isolation.
“Artists have the gift of imagination and a platform to speak from,” enthuses Masia One, whose real name is Lim May Sian. Hip-hop was a way for her to express herself while growing up in Canada, where her family moved to when she was eight. She later built a music career in the US ghostwriting for chart-topping artists under Grammy awardwinning producer Che Pope, before heading to Jamaica to explore new territories with reggae. Since moving back home in 2015, Masia One has been promoting music genres such as dancehall, reggae and dub to audiences in the region through the Singapura Dub Club.
Most recently, she is the voice behind the original theme song for local television series Titoudao: Inspired by the True Story of a Wayang Star, where she fuses urban beats with traditional Chinese opera tunes.
Through the mixtape project, which will be produced by Nusantara Records—the label she co-founded in 2019— Masia One hopes to raise funds for Cahaya Surya Bakti, a Malaysian organisation based in Johor that is supporting the education of refugee children, which is a cause that is close to her heart.
“I believe that creatives can use their talents to help underresourced communities. I want to push my social media connections to the limit and see what’s possible. There are so many people in need around the world and I want to focus on what I can do to help.”
To date, American hip-hop artist Sabotawj and saxophonist Sax of Shaolin have confirmed their participation in the digital mixtape, which is expected to be released this month.