On Da Come Up with Cess Wonder

Everyone has pondered what superhuman power they would like to posses if they we a superhero or villain. Personally I would like to control people’s minds like Professor X. For unsigned femcee Cess Wonder, her comparison with Wonder Woman comes from the fact that like the super-heroine she has entered a man’s world to quell unrest.

In Cess Wonder’s case the man’s world she has entered is Hip-Hop where females are often left out of debates concerning great emcees. Cess a.k.a. Wonder Woman is making inroads and as the face of New York City’s most prestigious showcase, Training Camp, her skills have many on the streets acknowledging her talents.

In one of the few interviews she has granted, Cess talks about her persona, the business of being a female in Hip-Hop and what can be expected of her soon. Hip Hop Ruckus introduces to you all Cess Wonder.

YaBoyJavi: State your name and what hood you’re reppin’.
Cess Wonder: Cess Wonder a.k.a. Wonder Woman. I am from Brooklyn, New York but right now I live in New Jersey.

YaBoy: What’s behind the name Cess Wonder?
CW: There is quite a unique meaning behind the name Cess Wonder. Cess is actually taken from my old name when I first began to rap years ago. I went by Princess but that name was so, so common, so in due time I decided to change it. I wanted to keep a name that was sort of similar to Princess, so I kept the ‘Cess’ part and one of my cousins added the ‘Wonder’ at the end. He named me Wonder because he felt as if I was Hip Hop’s newest Wonder. The a.k.a. also came from him. He felt that I was an all around true “Wonder Woman” – from being a strong, consistent artist to being a strong, young female in general. He looked at me as being a strong young lady who has overcome many obstacles in her life and he was exactly right. The name illustrates my persona.

YaBoy: That’s what it is. So you are the face of New York’s most prestigious open mic showcase, Training Camp, how did that happen?
CW: I actually performed at the Pyramid a few times. Training Camp was actually one of the first showcases I hit as Cess Wonder a.k.a. Wonder Woman. Mental Supreme admired my show performance and what I represented as a female grindin’. He saw something that many of promoters also see in me but he acted on it first. We began to build and one day he asked me to come down and co-host for the night and we took it from there.

YaBoy: That’s a good look. How has it benefitted you?
CW: It’s benefited me in various ways. Mostly, it has helped me build up my stage performance and my character. Also I have met a lot of people who have come through to his showcases from industry personnel to many up-and-coming aspiring artists.

YaBoy: Tell Hip Hop Ruckus why you are the next to blow and what separates you from the rest of these artists in the game?
CW: What separates Cess Wonder from many artists is the way I use a super hero as a metaphor for what I do. I call myself Wonder Woman because Wonder Woman was a powerful woman – all situations, she conquered. I fit directly into those red Wonder Woman boots! I’m an all around strong female. I have many friends who go threw tough, tough times and they always come to me with their stories. They turn to me first for support.

On the Hip-Hop side, I can conquer it all. Throw a beat on; I am a very diverse artist. I can move on all subjects. I write my own music. I do everything myself. I mean everything, except produce, but I’m working on it. Therefore, just as Wonder Woman was unstoppable, so am I. It’s a metaphor for what I do.

YaBoy: Ladies get overlooked all too often as lyricists in Hip-Hop. Why do you think that’s the case?
CW: I’ve heard that “this is a man’s game” a million times. Off the back, many people don’t think that females are lyrically nice. They look at their appearance. Maybe the saying “sex sells” may have messed it up a bit for females in a way. With that saying, it doesn’t matter if the female can rap or not. It’s about how they look. I have seen both world wide female rappers and upcoming female rappers who are highly attractive and are lyricists. Maybe the focus has been so much on their appearance that people are overhearing the music.

YaBoy: Interesting point. Who are some of your musical influences?
CW: I have always been inspired by R&B. TLC is one group that I always looked up to when I was younger. Aaliyah inspired me to be an entertainer because she was so great at what she did. She was my big sister. On the Hip-Hop side, I would most def have to say Jay Z. Jay is so consistent with his music and so diverse. He says things that you don’t understand when you first hear it but you catch on weeks later – that is a true lyricists. He makes you think and you know they call me Jay Z’s first daughter!

YaBoy: Sounds good. What projects are you in the studio cooking up?
CW: As of now, I’m doing various features with up-and-coming artists. Also I’m a part of the Block Exchange, which is an independent movement consisting of my brother RH Bless and a few other family members. We are working on some heat to bring to the streets. Also I am working on my mixtape which is titled The Return of a Wonder Woman Vol. 1.

YaBoy: What should fans expect to hear?
CW: They should expect to hear consistency from Cess Wonder. They should expect to hear and feel a tremendous grind from me.

YaBoy: Any last words?
CW: There’s only one Wonder Woman of Hip-Hop and that’s Cess Wonder – Hip-Hop’s Wonder Woman. I’ve been grinding with this for years. Hit up myspace.com\CessWonder. They’re cosigning Wonder Woman!

“Lynda Carter”

“Big”

“A Gorgeous Forefit”