Hailing from Indonesia, Ramengvrl is known for her amazing flow, heavy bars and her unique fashion style. Among the growing scene of Asian Hip-Hop artists bursting onto the scene in recent years, Ramengvrl is at the forefront paving the way. She kicked off her career less than four years ago after leaving a 9-5 job and releasing her first single, she has consistently stepped up her game with each new addition. Ramengvrl’s release ‘CA$HMERE’ saw her win the biggest award for Hip-Hop in Indonesia in 2019 and her music has been featured by the Need For Speed franchise and in some of the biggest media outlets worldwide. In recent months Ramengvrl turned a new page joining the ranks of US Label EMPIRE and releasing a string of fresh singles that have caught waves of attention leading up to her now-released debut album ‘Can’t Speak English‘.
The album rollout kicked off with ‘Vaselina’ a Latin vibed banger featuring Euro, it was followed by ‘Look At Me Now’ which stirred controversy with a captivating scene picturing her burning a college degree and was then added to with a new flavour on the single titled “The Emo Song’ featuring fellow Indonesian SIHK which was paired with a heartfelt video including her fans, friends and fellow artists telling the world their insecurities.
In a statement on the release of “Can’t Speak English”, Ramengvrl explained that “the album tells the full story of my journey, from where I came from, what I’ve been through, the Ls, the wins, and a lot more”. Ramengvrl also added that “the concept behind ‘Can’t Speak English’ is whatever you want to be, you can make it happen”. The diverse album doesn’t just see her play it safe by sticking to her proven formula of pure hard-hitting bars as it also introduces softer points and tracks the dive deep into her struggles and emotions.
The concept of the album really shines through the track “Look At Me Now” featuring Ted Park. In this song, Ramengvrl tells the story of how once upon a time people used to laugh at her songs, but it didn’t stop her from making music and pursuing her dreams, and in the end, Ramengvrl is the one who gets the last laugh. Besides its rhymes and beat, It’s definitely a song anyone with ambitious dreams can relate to, hence why this has become our personal favourite out of all tracks in this album.
Another key highlight on the debut is ‘Foreign’ which features Pyra, an artist who sits under the banner of Warner Music. She adds yet another shimmering twist and cross-cultural collaboration that breathes ingenuity and captivation. Both Pyra and Ramengvrl are outspoken characters redrawing the lines of societal norms and rattling their sabres for feminism. They exude charisma, backed by extraordinary visions and out of this world imagery in their brands and music. The coalescence of each acts’ potent lifeform unlocks a revolutionary collaboration full of charm and alluring textures. It’s as if they were sirens emerging from the depths to tantalize with their irresistible song.
In total, she delivered 10 new songs on ‘Can’t Speak English’, along with Korean-American Ted Park who has associations with H1GHR Music are artists such as Young Money Entertainments Euro, Thailands Pyra, and accliamed US Rap icon Inayah. Aside from it’s star features, the album was produced together with a certified hitmaking team including Grammy-nominated Roark Bailey (Summer Walker, Saweetie, Playboi Carti, Post Malone), Omega (Iggy Azalea, Chloe x Halle, Big Freedia), Swede of 808 Mafia (Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Gucci Mane), Cassius Jay (Cardi B, Migos, Future, Justin Bieber) and SIHK (Rich Brian, NIKI).
In conclusion, “Can’t Speak English” is the epitome of pursuing dreams and the hardships that come with it thus making Ramengvrl’s story relatable to a lot of us in a lot of ways. Anyway, dreamer or not, this is a tantalising collection of songs which display a broad talent and you don’t want to miss this album.