Performing Arts Series presents Butterscotch

This expert vocal percussionist creates one-of-a-kind tunes, lyrics and music, by using any number of tools in her arsenal — singing, beatboxing, rapping, looping, piano and guitar playing — often at the same time. And, she’s really good at all of them.

This native Sacramentan has made a name for herself in the male-dominated field of beatboxing, her stellar ability earning her the title of the first female international beatboxing champion. Her singing has been described as “drizzling her vocals like melted caramel over every note.” Her voice has been likened to Billie Holiday’s, and her rap verses comparable to Lauryn Hill’s.

The compositions Butterscotch creates span various genres, including hip-hop, rhythm and blues, jazz and classical, as she’s influenced by many diverse artists, from Chopin to Chaka Khan and John Coltrane to Stevie Wonder.

Through her music, this quadruple threat defies social constructs of music and gender. She’s not afraid to get deeply personal in her lyrics, even discussing her struggles with depression and with being a biracial queer woman of color.