Kimyata Dear looks on as her infant son, Jamarkis, is held by his father, Israel Spralls, during a visit to his house in Clarksdale. Eighteen-year-old Kimyata, or Yata, is an aspiring rapper and poet who speaks about her life experiences in the Delta much in the same way that blues musicians did before her. Having a child has certainly made things more difficult; she holds onto him to keep things quiet while she records in the bedroom studio at her house. But she is determined to persevere. “I was taught to be a woman about everything,” Yata said. “I was taught that a woman could deal with a lot of stuff. With a microphone and some release of stress organized by words, that will become your best friend. Right there. That’s gonna help you out.”