Find a Way (Missy Robins song)

"Find a Way" is the debut single by Kuboian rapper Missy Robins, released in October 1997. Released and recorded when Robins was only thirteen years old, it was one of the first songs under the lipstick rap genre to gain widespread attention. The song samples Jean-Luc Ponty's 1978 track "Cosmic Messenger" taken from the album of the same name. "Find a Way" peaked at number two on the Karuboia charts in December 1997, and also charted moderately throughout Europe. The song was later included as a bonus track on Robins' debut studio album Little Missy Little.

Background
Built around a sped-up sample of "Cosmic Messenger" by Jean-Luc Ponty, "Find a Way" tells a fictional story about a preteen girl who runs away from home after suffering from domestic abuse at the hands of her abusive parents. Robins cited in an interview that the lyrics are based on anybody she knows in particular, though she also stated she knew of children who grew up in homes with abusive parents. She said "I felt I needed to bring light to the situation. I needed to show love to all the kids out there going through the same thing." "Find a Way" is written in the key of G minor with a tempo of 90 beats per minute.

The song's chorus features uncredited vocals from Kit Beerens, whom Ouraine was dating at the time. The first rap verse of the song opens with Ouraine rapping the line "see, once upon a time not too long ago", a reference to Slick Rick's 1989 single "Children's Story" which opens with a similar line.

The single's B-side, "I've Got That (Boom Boom Flow)", samples Knuckles the Echidna's theme from the 1994 video game Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Although it was originally intended to be included as a bonus track on the Little Missy Little album, Robins' manager decided not to include the track over complications regarding clearing the sample.

Music video
The music video for "Find a Way" was filmed Hausekeep in September 1997. The video is centred around a preteen girl called Bree, played by Nathalie Tammel, who decides to run away from home in the middle of the night after being fed up having to put up with her dysfunctional, alcoholic parents. After wandering about a forest park for a short period of time, Bree finds a bench and decides to sleep on it. Eventually, she is woken up by two police officers who take her into their custody - what happens afterwards is left ambiguous by the video.

Robins herself also appears in the video sitting down at a harbour with a fishing rod. According to Robins, she managed to accidentally catch a haddock off-screen, which she says she "got fried for a good lunch the next day".

Live performances
"Find a Way" is a staple of Robins' concerts and tours. Robins has several mixes of the track so she can switch between them to fit the mood or availability of resources, such as hiring other male singers to sing the chorus and/or hiring a band to play the instrumental live.

On 14th October 2022, Robins and Beerens reunited to perform "Find a Way" live in Reichetto to coincide the twenty-fifth anniversary of the single's release.

Kuboian CD single

 * 1) "Find a Way" (album version)
 * 2) "Find a Way" (radio version)
 * 3) "I've Got That (Boom Boom Flow)"
 * 4) "Find a Way" (instrumental)

Kuboian cassette

 * 1) "Find a Way" (radio version)
 * 2) "I've Got That (Boom Boom Flow)"