She’s Next: Legacy Conference holds stage for Women in CHH

This Saturday afternoon, July 22nd, attendees of The Legacy Conference held in Chicago will have the opportunity to see the performances of four women in Christian hip-hop on a stage created for them.

Artists scheduled to hit the stage at Legacy Fest include A.I, Aasha Marie, L3XDIVINE, and Mahogany Jones. This new addition to the day-long, outreach driven Legacy Fest has been about a year in the making.

Artist, L3XDIVINE from Las Vegas was inspired to bring women involved in CHH together during the conference last year. She assembled rappers, singers, photographers and graphic designers for an honest conversation. They shared their perspectives on unfortunate truths about the CHH circle, she said.  Her ultimate goal was to create a space for encouragement despite the opposition.

“Even more so, I wanted to find a way to give these ladies a platform and a chance to help break the stigmas and double standards that are placed upon us,” said L3XDIVINE.

That conversation along with her quest to find the often hidden and overlooked women who make CHH music led her to ask Director for The Legacy Conference, Brian Dye for a stage.

L3XDIVINE asked Dye the same year that she gathered the women together but nothing became of it. This year, she says the Lord spoke to her ask again. “I could feel Him all in my heart asking me to reach out to Brian again. I did after being nudged by Him a couple times. Brian responded the same day I reached out,”she said.

After getting the green light from Dye, L3XDIVINE reached out to her “go-to girls” for help.  Among them were her mother and artist Mo’kha Uzuri, ARTSO Founder and CEO, Trisha Bell and Catalina “Cataphant” Bellizzi.

The theme of recognition and support of girls who rap or function in any capacity within CHH was felt at the conference in 2015 via the efforts of Bellizzi. She founded Young Lady, a movement and community for creative women in music, visual art, spoken word and writing. That year she  debuted her organization and sold t-shirts that read, “I Support Girls Who Rap.”

L3XDIVINE was also a former competitor in The Legacy Conference’s annual rap showcase. “That following year two more women became competitors but one specifically said she wouldn’t have done it if she didn’t see me up there that year. It spoke to me and it let me know that “our rarity’ was from a deeper cause,” she said.

I’m so excited to present She’s Next to the people! I’m hoping to truly set a new precedence in CHH.”

For the complete list of performances at the Legacy Fest, see the official site here.  Follow our social media @artsoulradio for live posts at Legacy and check back here artist interviews.