Emily Haines

The novelty of white boys rapping has long since worn off, but what about white girls? Indianapolis’ own violinist-chanteuse Emily Wells would like very much for you to be aware of her hip-hop fandom, no matter how creative it might be: She’s done a cover of The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Juicy” positively dripping with synths and barebones beats, all wrapped around pretty, sing-song rapping. But she can’t deny her classical roots. Touching as her rendition of “Juicy” might be, her original material emits far more character with staccato-plucked fiddles and ukuleles subbing in for where most others would opt for guitars and bass. Wells has been making music under her own name since 1999, and 2009’s self-assured Dirty EP suggests she’s only gaining momentum. Indy is her first stop on her Mama tour, an album that is due out April 10. 

Updated 03/14/2012