Description

Introduction that I wrote about Butterscotch in 2019: Butterscotch is a beatboxer, singer & multi-instrumentalist from Davis, California. I got put onto @butterscotchmusic in September. I was impressed with the way she manipulated sound with her larynx (didn’t know she beatboxed on her Scotch EP til I read the credits – damn, she’s good). Then, I was moved by her heavenly, jazzy-soul vocals, getting teary-eyed during her Ideacity performance of “Nothing Compares To You”. Butterscotch learned the piano at a young age, eventually majoring in music (classical piano) at Sacramento State, & pursued her music career. However, it was in high school when she learned to beatbox & adopted her alias from a punk song she wrote in chemistry class. Butterscotch is a one-woman symphony, using her voice box as a percussion instrument, along with simultaneously singing & playing the sax, flute, piano, &/or guitar. She can even rap her ass off when necessary (watch “Accept Who I Am”). Through her own songs or re-imagining old classics, her music is a wondrous blend of hip hop, jazz, soul, & reggae. Her discography includes 3 compilations (The Scotch Tapes), a gang of phenomenal covers, & the Scotch EP, released in July. She’s a profound storyteller, covering topics such as social injustices, identity, equality, mental health, the daily struggles of being a biracial queer woman of color, women empowerment, & encouraging self-love. She broke barriers in the male-dominated beatbox scene early on by winning the first Female Beatbox Battle World Championship in ’05, & the title for West Coast Champion in ’07. That same year, she gained national exposure on S2 of America’s Got Talent, finishing in 3rd place. She performed on Ellen & the Tyra Banks show. She toured with the electro-rock band Peeping Tom, beatboxing in place of Rahzel for Mike Patton. She was a mentor on MTV’s Made, helping a teen girl transform into a beatboxer, & has taught the art of beatboxing at schools for kids of all ages. In the last few years, she has performed at the San Quentin prison, with The Last Mile. She has toured globally, shared stages with legends, & there ain’t no stopping her.

FYI: She has released more music since I last wrote that introduction. Check out her Bandcamp page to listen!