the Revolution of FRESH...: We Are the Girl.

what's good good people! and I'm back! this week is personal for me. I recently had the privilege of being included in a project that was spearheaded by Lin Que called We Are the Girl. it is historical. consisting of 9, that's right 9 Woman MC's and 1 singer, it is a throwback to the "posse cut". but all new, up to date, hot

and...

wait for it...

FRESH!

so some months back, I featured Lin Que for "She's So Fresh" Fridayz, and in the process of our conversation we realized our shared frustration and disappointment about the state of women in Hip Hop and with what has become our place in this art. and she said something that stayed with me, she said "we went from holding mics to holding poles." whoa. werd. and she would know, she was there when sistas held mics, crushed mics, and were respected as equals in Hip Hop.

WARNING, classic Hip Hop below:

and from that conversation, We Are the Girl was born into a reality. after suggesting some Woman MC's I know: Knewdles, Mala Reignz, Toni Blackman, Lin made some calls to some sistas she knew, Rachel Walker, J-Boo and Paula Perry. Tiye Phoenix was a no brainer because she's so dope, and Alana came to We Are the Girl via Shareef Islam of Aztechnique Studios, and it was on and poppin!

I quote:

"The ‘We Are the Girl Movement’ makes history with its first release, “Suga-Coated.” For the first time since the inception of Hip Hop, nine female emcees assault the microphone without any help from their male counterparts. “Suga-Coated” features True School Veterans who have been in the game for quite some time, Underground Royalty as well as Up-and-Coming Talent who are eager to claim their spot in this male-dominated industry. One has no choice but to succumb to the incredible skill and energy exuding from this track. Whoever said, “Female Emcee’s can’t hold their own” obviously hasn’t had the pleasure of sampling the skills portrayed on this banger. In addition to the genuine talent of Mala Reignz, Knewdles, Bless Roxwell, Lin Que, Alana, Paula Perry, Toni Blackman, J-Boo & Tiye Phoenix, is the sultry voice of newcomer Rachel Walker. “Suga-Coated” displays the undeniable talent of women of many ethnicities and cultures.
‘We Are the Girl’ aka WAG was formed to give women in Hip Hop a platform to ‘Follow their Dreams’ and make careers out of what they love doing most. It seems as though women have not been given a fair share within the Hip Hop community. It’s time. We must claim our voice. We must claim our seat at the throne and be the ‘True Queens’ that we were born to be.
‘We Are the Girl’ believes in giving back to the community. All the proceeds from the download of “Suga-Coated” are going to one of the most highly visible and recognized breast cancer charities in America, NBCF. “Suga-Coated” was officially released on October 1st, 2009… just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although October is designated for Breast Cancer Awareness, we all know that it is a day-to-day issue that needs our support. Support Women… Save the Hip Hop Culture… Heal the World."

the song is a single, available for only $.99, via the We Are the Girl website! this is a project I am so proud to be apart of, and I am so proud my sista, Lin Que, for taking the initiative to make this happen. from creating and designing www.wearethegirl.com (y'all ain't know right?) to ensuring that this effort supports an issue so important to ALL women, breast cancer research and awareness, this is a project I believe in and it will continue to have all of my support, and I hope yours also.

now, I know the answers to all the questions below but I wanted to make sure Lin Que had the opportunity to tell you about it in her own voice:

me: what was your motivation in doing We Are the Girl?

Lin Que: Being that I have been in the business for a while now and have witnessed firsthand the fall of the Female Emcee, I have always wanted to create something that would help unify the sisterhood in Hip Hop. It seems as though we are all scattered all over the place and if we would join forces, we could really make something positive happen. One night I was being interviewed by Bless Roxwell and we started talking about 'female emcees.' I expressed to her an idea I had regarding creating a track with a lot of female emcees on it and having all the proceeds from the download go to a women's charity like for breast cancer. Bless showed her interest and also decided to help. The rest is history.

me: what is your vision for We Are the Girl?

Lin Que: It's a platform to help support women on the 'professional stage' as well as the 'world stage.' It is a unified force for women that will hopefully join forces with other like organizations so that we can take this "Women's Movement" worldwide and to the next level. This needs to be global.

me: folks always want to say that sistas can't get along. did you encounter any sort issue with the women on this project? egos, etc..

Lin Que: I think that this project has already created for me a sense sisterhood and unity. We all have to learn how to get along with each other whether we are male or female, young or old, catholic, muslim, or jewish... it doesn't matter. This project for the most part ran very smoothly... and that's saying a lot because there are 10 different artist on this track. So as far as "Sistas don't get along"... I think that's just to keep us separate from each other. One woman alone is powerful... ten women might just change the world... lol.

me: what can people expect from We Are the Girl in the future?

Lin Que: Strong Women, Good Music, Peace, Love, & Healing... We are paving a path for ourselves. We are no longer waiting for someone to do it for us. We are taking control of our own destiny.

so there you have it folks! support We Are the Girl, and by default you will be supporting Women in Hip Hop and women in general! and we thank you.

on another note: the next "She's So Fresh" Showcase will be on 11/5, and the line up is SO FRESH!