Episode 8 – Dope Saint Jude

Catherine Saint Jude Pretorius aka Dope Saint Jude is a rapper and a producer. She hails from Cape Town where she studied Political Science and where she formed the first drag king group BrosB4Hoes. She explored masculinity as well as misogyny in hip hop as Saint Dude, her character inspired by rapper Lil Wayne. Soon after she released her first singles and in 2016 the debut EP Reimagine. In 2018, she followed up with a project called Resilient focusing on the barriers a queer artist of color has to deal with. Race and gender inequality, stereotypes, beauty standards, pride, and a positive attitude towards oneself are the themes of her music production as well as her amazing videos. Her first music video Golden Ratio addresses different forms of power, breaking down stereotypes, her own superpowers, and the importance of community.
Dope Saint Jude recently moved to London. Does she see any parallels between the British metropolis and her hometown in South Africa? Where does she find the strength to create such a personal music that empowers others? What are the important parts of her creative process? How did she experience her coming out, and what did the women artists she looked up to teach her?

LIST OF REFERENCES
Dope Saint Jude feat OJ – The Golden Ratio
Dope Saint Jude – Inside
Tracy Chapman – Talkin’ Bout a Revolution
Dope Saint Jude – Grrrl Like
Dope Saint Jude feat. Angel Ho – Keep In Touch
Dope Saint Jude feat. Andi Mkosi – Brilliant, Arresting, Extravagant
Dope Saint Jude – Liddy
Dope Saint Jude – Go High Go Low

Concept & narration: Mary C
Title music: Mary C
Translation: Dora Rodriguez
Dubbing: Jemah
Visuals: Vladyslav Afanasiev & Jan Brož

MY EMANCIPATION DON’T FIT IN YOUR EQUATION

Podcast series that maps the revolutionary and emancipatory thoughts in current music presented by Mary C and Institute of Anxiety.

Let’s explore revolutionary thoughts and strong emotions in contemporary music, that have the power to move our society. They have always been here but are very often neglected. However, there still are places where they thrive, where new provocative and strong realities emerge and where new pop music arises, along with new revolutions.

Let’s explore the process of evolution and emancipation of electronic dance music and rap.
How do artists, especially those from african diaspora, create? Is it even possible to create when the art should be an absence of fear? What can artists help us learn and unlearn and how can we become connected and free ourselves through listening? Meet the artists who produce music as well as important knowledge, bring communities together and organize a variety of initiatives. How does their emancipation diverge from the current normative equation? The title of the podcast is inspired by Lauryn Hill’s lyrics 'My emancipation don't fit your equation.' appears in her song Lost Ones.

Marie Čtveráčková aka Mary C is a curator, musician, music journalist, producer, and cofounder of ZVUK and Synth Library Prague. From 2011 to 2020 she worked at public Czech Radio Wave as the creator and host of Scéna s Mary C (The Scene with Mary C), which focused primarily on rap, its context, and its contemporary forms. As a curator and lecturer at Synth Library Prague she is currently focusing on informal music education and music technology. In 2018 she founded the collective Trigger, which aims to connect women and trans* people in electronic music. She is interested in the potential of community organizing and inspired by feminist theory as well as the knowledge of Hip Hop culture.