Medusa Returns with “Double Dutch”—A West Coast Anthem of Resilience and Rhythm

For those who know, no introduction is necessary. For those who don’t, it’s time to catch up. Medusa the Gangsta Goddess, often hailed as the Godmother of West Coast Hip Hop, has always moved to the rhythm of her own wisdom. She’s a cultural matriarch, a master of the mic, and a living, breathing reminder that authenticity can outlast any trend. Now, she’s back with a new single, “Double Dutch,” and it’s not just a song—it’s a statement.

Medusa has built her legacy as one of the first hip-hop artists to pioneer the live band format, an educator, and a revolutionary voice who helped reshape a genre once thought to be a boys’ club. With a career rooted deeply in the cultural and social movements of LA’s Leimert Park Village, the Good Life Cafe, and Project Blowed, her work has always fused sound with purpose. On “Double Dutch,” that fusion has never felt so vibrant. Produced by the equally iconic Georgia Anne Muldrow, the track swings with a timeless West Coast bounce. Medusa weaves her rhymes like the ropes of the game itself—tight, quick, and gracefully timed. The beat knocks with that classic sun-soaked funk while her lyrics cut through with confidence and clarity.

Creating “Double Dutch” wasn’t just another recording session. Medusa describes the process with Georgia Anne Muldrow as planting flowers in the soil—organic, effortless, and full of life. The track taps into the spirit of their shared musical upbringing, blending playfulness with power. There’s a deeper metaphor at work here too. Like the game, life throws obstacles and challenges that require rhythm, timing, and sometimes the courage to just jump in. Medusa’s flow captures that exact feeling—resilient, joyful, and fearless.

The accompanying music video only strengthens the message. Shot in the heart of Leimert Park, it radiates everything underground hip-hop was built on: community, authenticity, and unapologetic joy. Medusa strolls through her neighborhood not as an untouchable celebrity but as a respected pillar of the culture. Collaborators, friends, and fans alike gather around her, creating the feeling of a spontaneous block party. There’s no pretension, only celebration—a tribute not just to her legacy, but to the enduring spirit of the scene she helped cultivate.

With a new album and national tour on the horizon, “Double Dutch” is more than a comeback. It’s a reminder that while the industry evolves, true artistry remains. Medusa isn’t just part of hip-hop history; she’s shaping its future, one bar at a time.

“Double Dutch” feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. What inspired you to use the game as a metaphor for life’s challenges?

I use double Dutch as a metaphor because in life you have to find your rhythm and different obstacles will sometimes cause that rhythm to Change. When that happens in double-dutch, you have to adapt. As you adapt, you have to find the joy in it while keeping your good friends around you, the ones that inspire you to new rhythms in life. Just keep jumping baby.

You and Georgia Anne Muldrow clearly have a unique creative chemistry. What was it like collaborating on this track, and how did your visions align?

Working with Georgia made me feel like I found my little sister of Funk Hop...She shared a story with me about coming to my event, Nappy at the Roots, watching me, the band, and felinescience perform, and fantasizing about being a feline. I realized there was mutual admiration happening. So when we built on all of the songs for Top Shelf Funk, she didn't just deliver some beats, and I chose, we built together on pure energy in our goddess funk realm. It was effortless. It was old and new.  In the room, you could feel the ancestors and the future.  It was easy to be myself. The true me, the vocalist, the MC, the poet, and the actor. Her tracks embraced me and brought the best out of me. We will forever be connected because of this synergy, sister Double Dutching! 

The video captures a real sense of community and cultural history. What does Leimert Park mean to you today compared to when you first started performing?

It means the same and more! I may not live in Leimert anymore, but my heart does. This is my haven. It feels like my heart and my light up as soon as I arrive. My people are always there with the same warmth and love. I give to it anytime it's asked of me. Leimert raised me into the artist that I am. The history of every elder like, Sika Dwimfo God rest, Kamau Daaood, Ben Caldwell of Chaos network the space that spawned Project Blowd workshop, Richard of fifth street dicks where Jazz and hip-hop mixed, the world stage Dwight Tribble, drummer mama NaeNae, and new phenomenon Fernando Pullum and his artist collective.  Every workshop there is a part of me, and every youngster that comes from it. I feel like we all subliminally hold hands somehow, whether we're in each other's presence or not. It's one of the most invaluable artist spaces in LA Leimert Park is the ark that I was raised in, that fires me up to this day!

You’ve always used your platform to challenge norms and uplift others. How do you see the next generation of female emcees carrying that torch?

I see it turning into a woman's platform, period! This is a genre that needs a lady's touch. All of the different styles of DOPE ILL SKILLED ladies create a balance. We have been objectified in it for so long that sometimes we, as women in it, forget we are everything, and this new generation of women is going to show and prove it. They are ready! Giving you their true selves, that truth that is out of the norm of the typecast. I BELIEVE IN YOU!

With a new album and tour on the way, what can fans expect from this next chapter in the Gangsta Goddess journey? 

They can expect me to continue to drop new jewels with my tools. I have a record label, GangstaGoddess Music. The plan is to put out the most unique, fly that I can find. I'm using myself right now as the temp plate to develop a great team, which seems to be working, thank God. With that being said, I wanna thank Steve Pena at SonyOrchard, SenYon Kelly of the hip hop museum in Brooklyn, Asya, creator of Fusicology, Zenobia Simmons, HIP Video Promo, Jerry Dolby, Tyeesha Warner, web designer, all my followers that support m,e and Leimert Park’s love and light!