Bahamadia is the stage name of Antonia D. Reed (born April 22, 1966), an American rapper and DJ from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Associated with alternative hip hop, jazz rap, conscious rap, and underground rap, she is known for her calm, low-register delivery, intricate rhymes, and understated approach to performance. Her music often favors jazz-influenced grooves and spacious production over the harder, more aggressive sound common in much of 1990s mainstream hip hop.
Reed began her career as a DJ, performing at house parties in Philadelphia during the 1980s. Influenced by performers including the Cold Crush Brothers, Schoolly D, and Lady B, she gradually moved from behind the turntables to the microphone. Her early work on the 1993 independent release "Funk Vibe" brought her to the attention of Guru of Gang Starr. That connection helped her secure a recording contract with Chrysalis Records and placed her within the wider orbit of the Gang Starr Foundation.
Bahamadia's first singles, "Total Wreck" and "Uknowhowwedu," established the musical qualities that would define her early career: relaxed flows, tightly constructed verses, and productions shaped by jazz, soul, and classic East Coast hip hop. Her debut album, Kollage, was released in 1996. The record featured production from Guru, DJ Premier, and members of the Roots, and included the singles "Uknowhowwedu" and "I Confess." It reached the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while earning strong critical respect as an example of sophisticated, female-led underground rap.
Although Chrysalis later folded, Bahamadia remained active through a wide range of guest appearances. Her collaborations during the late 1990s demonstrated a notable openness to styles beyond conventional boom bap. She appeared with the Roots on "Proceed Pt. 3" and "Push Up Ya Lighter," contributed to Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, and worked with artists such as Sweetback, Towa Tei, the Brand New Heavies, Roni Size and Reprazent, the Herbaliser, Morcheeba, Rah Digga, and Talib Kweli. Her appearance on "Chaos," with Kweli, further connected her to the Rawkus Records generation of lyric-focused hip hop.
Bahamadia returned to solo recording with the independently released BB Queen in 2000. The EP included "Special Forces," a collaboration with Planet Asia, Rasco, Chops, and DJ Revolution. The title referred to "beautiful black" and reflected her continuing interest in self-definition, artistic independence, and the place of women within hip hop. Her next full-length release, Good Rap Music, followed in 2005 or 2006, depending on the market and release listing.
Beyond her solo catalog, Bahamadia has remained a valued collaborator. She appeared on Erykah Badu's "Love of My Life Worldwide" alongside Queen Latifah and Angie Stone, and has worked with Jedi Mind Tricks, Mr. Lif, Dwele, King Britt, and other artists. Later releases and singles, including "Dialed Up Vol. 1," "Here," and "Dialed Up Vol. 2," show her maintaining a connection to independent hip hop while preserving the measured, articulate style that made Kollage a landmark of 1990s Philadelphia rap.