Artist description As male-dominated rap-metal continues its assault on America's youth, who is there to speak for the millions of female fans? Or the millions of male fans who choose not to treat women as second-class citizens? Betsy Ross, that's who. Betsy Ross is a 19-year-old female rap artist from Fort Lauderdale and also the metal-industrial-hardcore band that bears her name.

Music Style Industrial/metal/rap-core with punk attitude and female focus

Musical Influences Collapsing Lungs, Slayer, N.W.A., Descendents, The Runaways, KMFDM, Strung Out, Ministry, L7, Pantera, Crass, Public Enemy, 7 Seconds, Ramones, Madonna, Megadeth, Marilyn Manson, Dave Mustaine, Bob Mould, Joe Walsh, George Lynch, Jerry Cantrell, Jimi Hendrix, Entombed, Rage Against the Machine

Similar Artists Luscious Jackson, Kid Rock, Ministry, Limp Bizkit, Beastie Boys, Static-X, Prodigy, Rammstein, The Donnas, Rage Against the Machine

Artist History Betsy Ross - who at age 16 fronted her own rap-metal act that by her own admission was a lot of style but little substance - is starting from scratch at the ripe old age of 19. The old band that shared her patriotic nom de plume slowly unraveled around her, leaving her no choice but to seek out new musicians. "We all came to a point where we had to take care of other things in our lives," Ms. Ross says. As far as her new band is concerned, "People must be serious about practice and getting shit done," she says. "And I'd prefer people who aren't dependent on drugs." The original Betsy Ross made a lot of noise but little progress on the South Florida music scene after its April 2000 debut. Featuring music scene veterans Pete Gross and Chris Goldbach (Collapsing Lungs, Radio Baghdad, Against All Authority, et al.), the group made a modest splash and received positive press reviews. The band's sound and style mirrored that of the rap-metal pioneers Collapsing Lungs, who released one album on Atlantic Records in 1994 when Betsy was all of 10. "There's something promising in Betsy Ross' street-urchin-meets-jaded-rock-musicians-twice-her-age vibe that will warrant further investigation in the months to come," wrote Jeff Stratton in New Times. "Miss Ross has attitude to spare," said Jake Cline in City Link. The band's most notable song, "October One," an intense rant against child molestation, appeared on TheHoneyComb.com's 17-band compilation CD, "Soaking Up the Good Fla. Sunshine Vol. I." According to the CD's liner notes, "Not only does young Betsy take absolutely no shit from anyone, she uses "October One" as a soapbox against sexual oppression, issuing a stern warning with swaggering contempt." Unfortunately, Goldbach stepped down after two shows to concentrate on his many other projects (which now include Irish Car Bomb) and his replacement left much to be desired. By the time veteran drummer Tony Tomasino joined on the skins for the band's biggest show, opening for Nonpoint in March 2001 before more than 1,000 people at Orbit in Boynton Beach, the band's days were numbered. The group's final show was, fittingly, held on the Fourth of July of last year, a celebration of Ms. Ross' 18th birthday. Since then, Betsy has done a whole lot of writing ... and waiting. With former partner in crime Gross apparently AWOL, she plans to forge ahead with a fresh, new project and band. "It won't be rap-metal," she says. "I'd like to do a wide range of styles." She also definitely wants to surround herself with younger, hungrier musicians. Who knows, she may end up being the elder statesman of the group. "I'd like to think that my music career didn't peak at 16," she says. Anyone interested in auditioning can find more information at her Web site, www.BetsyRoss.cc

Group Members Betsy Ross - vocals

Instruments Guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, samples

Albums Betsy Ross

Press Reviews CITY LINK, Aug. 22, 2001: Music column by Jake Cline. "Soaking Up the Good Fla. Sunshine, Vol. 1" (The HoneyComb.com). Produced by TheHoneyComb.com entertainment Web site and the new West Palm Beach monthly "Closer," this 17-band alternative-rock sampler is about what you’d expect from such an overview ... quality reigns here, as everyone ... turn in ultra-fine performances. Moreover, the compilation attempts to belie the notion that South Florida is nothing more than a breeding ground for knuckle-dragging testoste-rock. In a neat, savvy twist, the CD's two rap-rock entries are provided by femme-fronted acts: Pank Shovel and Betsy Ross, the former with the slip-slidin' "Pipebomb Dream" and the latter with the two-minute outburst "October One," in which the 16-year-old Miss Ross phlegmatically threatens a child molester ("it’s crazy fucks like you that need to be held captive"). ******************************** NEW TIMES, June 28, 2001: Calendar show preview by Dan Sweeney. Betsy Bash: The Betsy Ross Birthday Bash: Betsy Ross's name will forever be linked with flags, rocking chairs, and red, white, and blue thread. But the Fourth of July show at Orbit by the local band that bears her name will solidify another association: aggressive rap-metal. Pete Gross, late of industrial-rap mayhem bringers Collapsing Lungs, wanted to carry on when said outfit broke up a few years back, but how would he distinguish his new project? Why, a female singer! There ya go! You don't often see that in the testosterone-soaked, misogynistic world of rap-metal. And when he found Betsy Ross, he knew his search was over. "I was singing Vanilla Ice in [Pete's] car, and he said, "Hey, wanna sing in a band?' " she recalls. That was a year and a half ago, and come Independence Day, Ross celebrates her 18th birthday by performing with her eponymous band. (It was an easy gig to get: In addition to being a darn good guitarist, Gross also manages Orbit.) The group has gone through some severe lineup changes recently, with Death Becomes You bassist Nicodemous filling in for the departed Megacriss. Drummer Chris Goldbach had to drop out when his other band, Against All Authority, demanded a full-time commitment. A drum machine has taken his place, but the singer says she won't miss a beat. "I'm actually looking forward to that," Ross says. "I can get everything out of my head without having to get it through someone else." Though her actual b-day is July 27, the glaring red rockets of Independence Day could not be ignored. The evening begins at 7 p.m. when Köcosanté takes the stage for 30 minutes or so, followed by half-hour sets by Scars of Life, Saq, No Way Out, Betsy Ross, Mindscape 9, Clubber Lang, and finally the Mary Tyler Whores, who wrap the show up by 1 a.m. Gross brings a lot of the Collapsing Lungs sound to the stage, and it mixes well with the heavy bass, loops, and samples played through a four-track. Of course what makes the band memorable are the angry vocals of that waifish girl - er, woman - up there, laying down mad rhymes for her country. ******************************** CITY LINK, Dec. 6, 2000: Annual Music Issue - Alt/punk listings. Members: Betsy Ross (vocals), Pete Gross (guitar), M.C. Dan (keyboards), Megacriss (bass), Chris Goldbach (drums). Comments: "I'm your worst nightmare, I'm a bitch with a mic," declares Betsy Ross, the 17-year-old rapper of this fledging hip-rock Broward act. Indeed, Miss Ross has attitude to spare, her deadpan, monochromatic delivery underscoring such priceless boasts as "I got more power than Winnie Mandela" and "I do more good than Mother Teresa." Fans of long-gone industrial-rock locals Collapsing Lungs will recognize Betsy Ross' street-punk-meets-club-rat vibe, no surprise considering both Gross and Goldbach were instrumental in the Lungs' sound, which eventually and briefly landed them on Atlantic Records in 1994. (Gross and Goldbach also play in veteran punk outfit Radiobaghdad, and Goldbach drums with Against All Authority.) Since making their live debut at The Culture Room in April, Betsy Ross have made themselves known at virtually every venue that still allows people Ross' age to enjoy live music. Last month, the group officiated over Freedom Fest, an all-ages concert at Davie's Club Q designed to protest Fort Lauderdale's recent ordinance banning those under 21 from entering bars and nightclubs. Like Betsy Ross, each participating band featured at least one member under 21. ******************************** CITY LINK, Nov. 15, 2000: Music column by Jake Cline. Perhaps a recount is in order? She may be only 16, but Betsy Ross claims she's "your worst nightmare — I'm a bitch with a mic." Better yet, the flag-burning teenage rapper also proudly boasts — in her own theme song, no less — "I've got more power than Winnie Mandela," with which she does "more good than Mother Teresa." Now, Miss Ross is turning her omnipotence toward Fort Lauderdale's recently enacted ordinance banning those under 21 from the city's nightclubs — by staging a protest concert in, of all places, Davie. Freedom Fest begins 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 at Club Q and features a rash of hardcore and punk bands that each include at least one member under 21 years old. In addition to Ross and her hard-hitting, self-named rap-rock outfit, which also features guitarist Pete Gross and drummer Chris Goldbach (better known for their work in Radiobaghdad and Collapsing Lungs, of whose sound Betsy Ross heavily borrows), are Hydrosonic, Black Line Grind, At All Costs, Insidious, Firecrotch and Gunsmith Cats. ******************************** NEW TIMES, April 27, 2000: Bandwidth column by Jeff Stratton. Coughing went unnoticed during the live debut of Betsy Ross at the Culture Room on Monday, April 17. The fledgling industrial/rap/ metal outfit reinvents the sledgehammer attack of area legends Radiobaghdad and Collapsing Lungs (guitarist Pete Gross and drummer Chris Goldbach were involved with both projects) while adding a new flavor to the brew - the rap skills of the band's 16-year-old namesake. The 20-minute set was hallmarked by the Betsy Ross theme song, which is introduced by a whammy-bar rip on The Star Spangled Banner. A nice touch: Before the first song had ended, Ms. Ross checked her pager at least twice. The five-piece could have used a bit more fermentation and seasoning before playing live; for sure they could have done without the Jailbait Twins - or whatever they're called - whose gyrating wasn't necessary. Moreover, the gimmick didn't do much to forward Ms. Ross' "hard female-empowerment stance." Still, there's something promising in Betsy Ross' street-urchin-meets-jaded-rock-musicians-twice-her-age vibe that will warrant further investigation in the months to come.

Location Fort Lauderdale, FL - USA

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