It has been decades since women first marched the streets for the same rights and recognition that their male counterparts have always enjoyed. Years have passed, and yet, along with the lingering traces of patriarchy, the march continues.
Standing at the forefront of today’s movement and reminding women of their strength amid the persistent stigma is the music artist and professor “Lil MC.”
A bilingual rapper, singer, producer, podcast personality, hip hop educator and comic book creator, Lil MC is an inspirational icon who has helped countless individuals push past hurdles and trauma. Through her platforms, the artist shares her experiences and empowers her audience to write their success stories as she did.
The first chapter of Lil MC’s life began at five years old. At such a young age, the artist first realized a passion for composing and producing music. A year later, she had familiarized herself with the piano and often spent time translating stories into songs.
Her interest only grew in the later years; however, her passion for music transitioned into a desperate need for an outlet. “I went through a lot of different forms of abuse starting at age 14, so by the time I was 18, I was so angry, confused and depressed that my gravitation toward hip hop happened really organically.”
Finding solace in the genre, Lil MC connected with high-caliber artists such as Tupac, Biggie, and Left Eye. “The emotions they conveyed in their lyrics mirrored everything I had going on in my head, and I finally felt like I wasn’t suffering alone,” she recalled.
Their sound provided the young artist with tremendous comfort in her journey past physical and substance abuse; and through single motherhood and depression. So, she decided to offer the same for those in need.
In 2017, she released her first album, “Prey for Gods.” The debut piece perfectly encapsulated her identity as an artist and her drive to succeed as a woman in a male-dominated industry. This was followed by “PunisHER Volume 1” in 2019 and 2020’s “PunisHER Volume 2.” This year, Lil MC released the Unlearn the World produced single “OMG” featuring Cozzee, which debuted on NBA 2k21.
On the approaching July 2, the hip hop artist is dropping “Riding the Pink Cloud,” the first leg of her seven-song project with Producer DJ Loot. In line with her healing and empowering discography, “Riding the Pink Cloud” will undoubtedly be another electrifying soundtrack to the ongoing movement.
Through her songs, Lil MC wields her musical prowess as a weapon to carve out a permanent space for women in the industry. As she said, “music is powerful, and when created with the right intentions, it can be pervasively transformative.”
However, her impact on the industry doesn’t end there. As a sought-after hip hop educator, Lil MC has been teaching the art of MCing, producing, songwriting, performance, and the true history and culture of hip hop, recognizing the women who helped shape it.
These discussions are filed under the women’s empowerment course, which Lil MC and her colleague Amani Jade crafted into the hip hop curriculum. Lil MC teaches for three different non-profit organizations, including the Oakland non-profit “Hip Hop for Change, Inc.”
Half a decade from now, the multi-talented creative and educator sees her efforts bearing fruits. As the nation’s hip hop scene welcomes much-needed changes, Lil MC will be expanding her influence and raising the volume on female empowerment on a global scale – making her name in history as a pioneer in refining the treatment and perception of women in the genre.
Learn more about Lil MC and support her as she raises the banner for females everywhere a little higher. Reach out to the hip hop artist on Instagram or listen to her influential discography on Spotify.
