Epic multihyphenate Kate Wolff unveils even more new talents at the launch party of her first comedy album 11:11. She welcomes a wide variety of dancers and comics to show off their talents. Keren Margolis, David Goldberg, Robyn Schall, James Manzello, Jess Grippo, Aminah Imani, Mike Cannon, Melissa Stokowski and Marcia Belsky join in on the celebration.
Stand-up comedian. Single Mom. Healer. Tarot reader. And now...rapper? As Kate Wolff triumphantly launches her hilarious, totally-empowering rap video "Labia Game," along with her debut stand-up album 11:11, the goddess of dirty comedy tells us about her journey from telling jokes to spitting flow.
The inspiration
“I’ve been writing poetry since I was young as a way to deal with volatile emotions. And I’ve dated three white dude rappers. I believe that we’re often attracted to people that bring out shadow elements within [us]. When I thought about that, I was like, ‘Oh, I’m trying to fuck the white dude rapper out of me.’ I realized that there’s a rapper in me, but I was like: ‘Oh my God, there’s no way I can rap.’ But I finally said: ‘You know what? I’m not going to say I can’t rap because I’m scared.’ I decided to sit down and see what comes out. And as soon as I started writing rap, I wouldn’t stop. I started saying the craziest shit I’ve always wanted to say. And now the moment I get triggered, especially when it’s rage, I go right to rapping and it’s one of the only things tha tmakes me feel better."
Tapping into your power
“There’s a rawness in this female sexuality that wants to come out within all of us, man or woman. And there’s even vulnerability in claiming your rage, right? I’m just sick of pretending to be something else, and that to me is what labia game is, with a funny play on it. Like the lyric, ‘Yeah sweetie, I fuck on my period, don’t be scared, it’ll be the best you’ve ever had. Period.’”
Trying it out
“I had started rapping on stage a decent amount and getting a lot of criticism from other comics. There were comics who thought I should stick to comedy and that it was a hack thing to do, which I completely disagree with. I was following my soul, and I loved it, and I’m good at it. I performed at the Apollo’s Women of the World festival less than a year ago. I knew I was going to rap, but I was nervous, and I led into it with how how I fucked three white rappers. I rapped ‘Labia Game’ and ‘Pussy Teeth,’ which is just as intense. And they loved it.’
Recording the video
"We recorded at my house and I had a panic attack. Ultimately, I was exposing a part of myself both in the outfits and in this pretty hard rap. We were about to film the bedroom scene, and I got a headache and started throwing up and seizing. The cops came, an ambulance took me to the ER. I was pushing it, I didn’t say anything, I thought I should just get it done. It turned out I had a positive for Lyme’s disease and strep. I had to take two weeks off to not walk or drive because my body had given out. It was a lesson of: You have to listen to your body.
The response
“I've found that people who have been yearning for that deeper thing to emerge within them are like: ‘Yes!’ It gives them life, it lets their fire burn, it makes them go, 'yeah, fuck it.' On the other side of the spectrum, of course, there are people who want to demean it by going right to: 'I’m going to cum on you.' They see a woman claiming her power and it threatens them, and they put me down through sexualizing me. It’s a very sexual video, but they oversexualize it with 'I’m going to jerk off to this,' and look, I don’t mind if people jerk off to it. People can jerk off to a sock and a JC Penny catalogue. Jerk off to what you’re going to jerk off to. But don’t say it in a way that’s going to take the power away from me."
"I’ve had some criticism on me as a mother, and how it’s going to affect my son, which—trust me—I’m working on. I’m a really good mother, and I’m emotionally there for my son, and I believe in therapy, so I’m already addressing how well my son can handle having his mother be out there in the spotlight, and how I’m handling it not just sexually but artistically. But I really want him to know that even when a man or woman becaome a parent, they don’t stop being a sexual, artistic, free creature. I teach my son in what I think are great morals, which is compassion, being true to who you are, creating, and expressing your feelings instead of lashing out at other people. I don’t think that when you become a parent you have to be ashamed of your truest nature."
The message
"I’m putting "Labia Game" out there as part of a divine feminine energy. Women can be just as sexual and powerful as every man, and it’s not to take men down at all. Equality is about all of us thriving, and that’s what I want the message to be. I know it’s going to trigger some people who don’t honor that belief that women are equals. It’s one thing to say that we’re equal and it’s another to embody that. We’re still very deep in a patriarchal energy, and we’re trying to change that. It’s meant to ruffle feathers. We all have these dark, 'ugly' places that we don’t like to admit to, and for me 'Labia Game' is made with kindness. Let’s be the fierce ferocious beings we are. I’m going to hump who I’m going to hump, and wear what I’m going to wear, and claim my body and my sexuality. I’m sick of pretending to be this pleasant little thing. Not that I completely have; I’ve been onstage doing my 'Clit Ninja' joke forever. But it’s kind of like the ultimate, nah, I’m going to be who I am and I encouage everyone to claim it too."