It’s Women’s History Month so Kalamazoo gets a dose of potent female-driven hip hop from West Michigan stars. And Lady Ace Boogie follows up by hosting another hip-hop showcase Saturday in Grand Rapids.
Empowering, Inspiring: DC will return to Bell’s Brewery as part of Friday night’s showcase. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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With one eye on Women’s History Month and the other on lifting up, empowering and shining a spotlight on female area artists who are making a difference, Soul Artistry LLC and Truth Tone Records have teamed up to present “A Tribute To Women In Hip Hop” featuring two of the most prominent female rappers on the West Michigan music scene.
Kalamazoo’s DC and Grand Rapids’ Lady Ace Boogie will play the showcase taking place Friday night in Bell’s Brewery Back Room.
Laying a Foundation: DC and Lady Ace Boogie are having an impact on West Michigan’s music scene. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
The event is the brainchild of Yolonda Lavender, a prominent regional female hip hop artist in her own right and CEO of Soul Artistry LLC, a company that “focuses its efforts on curating artistry rich experiences and artistic cultivation.”
“My thought behind putting this event together is that one, it is always important, but even more so in the place where we are now, in the climate of this country, to lift up women’s history month, to lift up women, lift up women’s empowerment,” Lavender said.
“I was thinking in the ways that can be done in terms of artistry and hip hop came to me because I feel like the culture of hip hop definitely started from being completely male dominated, but there were always prominent women artists in those spaces such as Queen Latifah and Shante that were at the forefront … so we want to make sure we are focusing on them as women who made significant strides in hip hop culture and who are still doing that now, while also looking at some of those individuals who are doing that here in West Michigan.”
SHOWCASING FEMALE ARTISTS ‘WHO ARE MAKING AN IMPACT’
DC and Lady Ace Boogie (aka Linda Tellis-Aguilar) — who recently scooped up a Jammie for 2018 Hip Hop Album of the Year, with her sophomore effort, “Don’t Box Me In” — Lavender said, are laying the very foundation of the female hip hop scene in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.
“I’ve performed with DC a lot, so I’ve been able to see specifically the foundation that she has laid here, and Lady Ace, I’ve known for a long time, and have seen the tremendous ripples that she has made in Grand Rapids and West Michigan, but also how she has been able to take that outside the state as well,” she said.
Big Weekend Ahead: Lady Ace Boogie (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
“There are not really too many women that are in the state of Michigan where their focus is hip hop. As you get closer to Detroit you see a little more significance in terms of women in hip hop with artists like Miz Korona, Mama Sol and a few others but not all of them are actively still in the Michigan music scene.
“The entire premise of this event is to showcase those women artists who are making an impact while also honoring those who came before them with a few covers.”
Lady Ace Boogie and DC will perform together on the night as well as independently of one another and Jessica Ivey of Last Gasp Collective will open the show. Orlando (Bedrock), DJ Dean Martin and DJ Conscious all will provide support over the course of the evening. Tickets are $10 advance and $15 day of show and can be purchased at bellsbeer.com.
Lady Ace Boogie follows this on Saturday by hosting her own showcase of Grand Rapids rappers and hip hop stars at Billy’s Lounge. “A Dope-Ass Lineup” will feature Steven Malcolm, Chubbaleano, Senua, J.Rob, Raydale Shamaine and Shamar Alef, with DJ Dean Martian also spinning music. Admission is $10 advance, $12 day of show. Doors open at 8 p.m. for this 21-and-older event.
VIDEO: Lady Ace Boogie, “Keep Shining”
VIDEO: Jessica Ivey and Last Gasp Collective, “Turnin’ Me Up”
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