From Dream to Reality
The very first International Indigenous Hip Hop Awards Show is just around the corner, and is proud to be a partner and supporter of the many talented Indigenous performers and producers from around the world.
In anticipation of the two-day virtual celebration of arts and culture, SAY Magazine would like to acknowledge the four industry leaders who have worked tirelessly to bring this event to life.
We all know that music is healing and can bring people together, and that’s exactly how William Pierson (Jon-C), Christie Charles (Miss Christie Lee), Paul Robert Sawan (K.A.S.P) and Chris Sharpe (C Sharpe) were united—through hip hop. “Hip hop is a beautiful culture that is diverse and inclusive,” said Sharpe. “It brought us together, and we know Indigenous hip hop will bring millions more together from all over the world.”
Having worked on the CUT Hip Hop Awards together for three years, K.A.S.P and C Sharpe planned to join forces to help increase the visibility of urban Indigenous music artists. “We knew it needed to be big, and we needed a talented team in place to make it happen,” explained Sharpe. They called on one of the pioneers of Indigenous hip hop, Jon-C, who also happened to be one of the creators and producers of the CUT Hip Hop Awards from 2015-2017. To complete the team, they reached out to hip hop artist and Indigenous rights activist Miss Christie Lee, who agreed to join the team.
Together they launched the International Indigenous Hip Hop Awards Show, which includes a music conference followed by an awards celebration. This event will unite those that make up the Indigenous urban entertainment culture, providing a platform to showcase the great work of diverse Indigenous hip hop artists, singers, visual artists, spoken word poets, producers and DJs from around the globe.
Meet the team who has invested their time and money into making this dream a reality.