Written by: Kymmi Cee Live

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BIO:

3D Na’Tee, born Samantha James, is a 24-year-old female rapper artist from New Orleans with a not so traditional upbringing credited for who she is today.

By the early 1990’s crack cocaine, a previously unknown drug, had gained its notoriety for being a home wrecker and a hard addiction to knock. There were millions of users across the United States and by late 1991 the list gained 2 more addicts; Samuel and Lucinda, Na’Tee’s parents. After having Na’Tee and her two brothers, the last of which was born in 1992, her parents were no longer selling drugs but instead consuming them. They had became full fledge addicts.

“Growing up in the 3rd Ward area of New Orleans prepared me for the harsh realities of this industry,” says this studio junkie. “Unfortunately every since I was 5 years old I had to deal with the fact that both my parents were crack cocaine addicts. The things that most of my classmates took for granted like field trip money or even time with both parents in the household, for instance, was a privilege for me. I had to get things on my own even at a young age. That led me to run ins with the law and over all poor decisions. However, I had faith in the fact that my talent could change my future.” Unfortunately, at the age of 10, her father committed suicide. That death was described by Na’Tee as “the moment in life that I realized I wanted to live and not just exist.”

“I began to cope with s**t by writing. I did a lot of freestyling too just to clear my head. I realized I had a gift for actually performing what I wrote back in elementary school though. I use to talk and rap so much in class that my 4th grade teacher called me up on some ‘obviously what you are talking about is more important then what Im teaching so WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE IT’S IMPORTANCE WITH THE CLASS’ type s**t.’ So me being the clever chick that I am (laughing) I got in front of the class and starting freestyling about her lesson for that day. She obviously knew that that wasn’t what I was talking about but was impressed that I was talented enough to put her lesson plan into a rap that actually made the students pay attention. Everybody already knew I could rap, but I guess when word got around to the teachers they stopped looking at me as this smart mouth little girl and more like a talent that needed to be heard.” Na’Tee continued, “I also took solace in pointing out other people imperfections because at home I felt like s**t.  At a young age me and my classmates use to rib and play the dozens. We would talk bout each others momma or the clothes we whore while someone beat on the desk or on textbooks with pencils. I guess you could say thats when I learned to battle. So in essence, I been doing this.”

In 2009 Na’Tee was featured in Hip Hop Weekly Magazine and on G-Unit’s ThisIs50.com as an independent artist on the rise. In 2010 she took home the most awards at the NOLA Hip Hop Awards for Lyricist of the Year, Best Female Artist, and Mixtape of the Year. It all came well deserved as the young poet not only writes her own music, but she also records and mixes it in her own studio, directs and edits her own music videos, and designed her official website http://www.3dnatee.com.

Just last week she released her mixtape, “The Coronation.” Although still an unsigned artist, Na’Tee has and continues to work with a plethora of both independent and major artist. Certainly talented and on the rise, I’m sure we’ll be ‘ceeing’ a lot more of 3D Na’Tee.