From left, Sierra Lever, Saweetie, MC Lyte, Leslie “Big Lez” Segar and Laiya St. Clair discussed the role of women in hip-hop. (photo courtesy of the Recording Academy/Anna Webber for Getty Images)
On June 18, MusiCares, the leading charity supporting the health and well-being of the music community, in partnership with Vivid Seats and H3 contributor Amazon Music, hosted its Los Angeles installment of its Humans of Hip Hop initiative at Amazon Studios in Culver City. The event, entitled “She’s Iconic: A Salute to Women in Hip Hop,” included a dynamic female-led discussion with panelists Saweetie, MC Lyte, Big Lez, Sierra Lever and moderator Laiya St. Clair.
The panelists chatted about women in hip hop culture, mainstream influences, mental health awareness and everyday wellness practices and cultural bias women face in the industry. Some of the main takeaways from the event surrounded perseverance in the face of hardship, the love of hip hop and supporting each other.
“What’s the point of having a platform if you’re not inspiring others?” Saweetie said. She discussed her own experiences and uplifting others through her work.
The event also had a hearing health activation including custom earplug fittings for guests who qualify, a signature offering of MusiCares services, along with additional information on the variety of services offered by the charity to music professionals.
MusiCares’ Humans of Hip Hop initiative is directed at providing resources tailored to the needs of the hip hop community nationwide. MusiCares helps the humans behind music, offering preventive, emergency and recovery programs. For information, visit musicares.org.
