Canadian rap pioneer Michie Mee is still buzzing with excitement following her conversation with Canada Post.
The acclaimed rapper and actress, recognized as a key figure in Canadian rap, is set to be featured on an official postage stamp.
“When I heard the news, I couldn’t believe it. I was ecstatic and overwhelmed,” she shared with host Nil Kӧksal on As It Happens. “I’m still on cloud nine about it.”
She is slated to appear on one of three stamps paying tribute to Canadian hip-hop innovators for Black History Month in February, alongside Toronto artist Maestro Fresh Wes and Quebec group Muzion.
Canada Post mentioned in a press release that each artist was acknowledged for their significant contributions to the evolution of hip-hop and rap in Canada. Michie Mee, originally from Jamaica and raised in Toronto, was highlighted for introducing Jamaican patois into her lyrics.
The release also highlighted Maestro Fresh Wes as the first Canadian MC to achieve mainstream success with his hit single Let Your Backbone Slide in 1989, while Muzion incorporated French, English, and Haitian Creole in their music, creating a unique sound.
CBC has contacted Maestro Fresh Wes and Muzion for their comments.
Debut of hip-hop artist stamps
Since 2009, Canada Post has issued stamps for Black History Month annually, but this marks the first time they are honoring hip-hop artists with stamps.
“It has been a long time coming for recognition of women in rap, let alone Canadian female rappers,” Michie Mee remarked.
Michelle Ann Camille McCullock, known professionally as Michie Mee, made history as the first Canadian hip-hop artist signed in the U.S. back in 1988.
She explained that she and her peers in the ’80s and ’90s had to navigate a music scene in Canada that lacked resources, exposure, and recognition for hip-hop.
“We were essentially breathing life into a genre in a country that didn’t widely support urban hip-hop,” she recalled. “Even when it did, we were being fed non-Canadian artists predominantly.”
“So, the fact that we made an impact, had our unique voice, style