Rapper Da Brat is embracing life as an independent artist in the age of social networking, insisting websites like Twitter.com enable musicians to pocket more of their song profits than they would if signed to a major label.

The Funkdafied hitmaker, real name Shawntae Harris, has been left without a record deal following her release from prison in 2011, but she is confident striking out on her own could become a profitable venture - as long as her fans remain as excited as she is about her new material.

She tells AllHipHop.com, "I'm always working. I'm always in the studio. I'm not signed to a major label right now. But, I'm doing it like everybody else, putting it out on Twitter, songs on YouTube.

"It might be better not to be signed right now. If I can get 200,000 followers on Twitter, which I'm building up because I haven't been on there that much. If I can get half of them to buy my record on iTunes, that's a $100,000 for my pocket. I'll take that.

"As you get older and more mature, you see the other side of things. Instead of giving the record company half of that, and then they (are) recouping limos and hotels, you end up with nothing. You live and you learn. I love it. I love the challenge. I love to put in the work. I love it."

Da Brat, who was signed to her mentor Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings, released her last album, Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz, in 2003.

She will reunite with her former label mates, including Kris Kross, Xscape, Jagged Edge and Bow Wow, for a special 20th anniversary concert in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday (23Feb13).