Dominique Young Unique is in a league with few other female rappers; Rye Rye and Nicki Minaj jump to mind when I think about Dominique’s path, although Ms. Unique has yet to show that she can make the jump to mainstream that Minaj – and to some extent Rye Rye – has. Still, without a major label album to her name, she has managed to build a cult following, based on mixtapes, tours, and some high profile co-signs. On Wednesday night at the Mercury Lounge, she had the front rows rapping along with her, their shouted lyrics greeted by Dominique’s contagious smile and the occasional giggle.
Pacing the stage, decked out in a skin-tight red sequined dress and rocking bright red eye shadow to match, Dominique showcased her signature sassy style on the microphone. She’s almost always smiling, seems genuinely happy to be performing her songs, and avoids most of the confrontational attitude espoused by many female emcees. Her stage presence is impressive. Whereas the last time I saw her perform – at CMJ late last year – she was accompanied by a backing duo, this time there was a lone DJ manning her beats. No matter. When Dominique is on the stage, all eyes are on her.
The lone setback of the show was that she wasn’t on the stage for all that long. In the early slot of a double-bill at Mercury Lounge, the little lady was likely under some time pressure. Still, her set didn’t start until nearly an hour after the advertised time, and couldn’t have run more than about twenty minutes, tops. She played five songs, but didn’t dally on stage. It was a blur – short and sweet, but short.
