While Elise Marlin and Bryse Thornwell sat in their London flat during the fall 2018 semester, they began conceptualizing a dream 3,500 miles away — a vision of bumping speakers and technicolor lights at The Ark in Syracuse.

Marlin and Thornwell, juniors in SU’s Bandier program, co-produced the upcoming Women in Hip-Hop Benefit Showcase at The Ark. The show’s lineup includes performances from artists She Real, Lily Rayne, Kae Draco and Von.

The show, beginning at 9 p.m., aims to highlight the contributions of women artists in the genre and promote conversations surrounding gender equality. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Women in Music, a nonprofit organization established to bridge gender divides within the music industry.

“When we got back to campus, we wanted to do something that was really big, event-wise,” Thornwell said. “And then we thought ‘Oh, it would be really cool — what if we did something around women’s empowerment?’ And then it was kind of birthed from that.”

Marlin and Thornwell, both self-proclaimed hip-hop fans, saw the showcase as an opportunity to support women rappers in a collaborative setting, as opposed to a competitive one. Given that the mainstream rappers are predominantly men, Thornwell said, this weekend’s showcase will provide women with a platform to share their music with a wider audience.

A 2018 report compiled by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism division found that in 2017, only 16.8% of popular music artists were women. Similarly, the report revealed that out of 899 individuals nominated for a Grammy Award between 2013 and 2018, only 9.3% were women.

“There are women in hip-hop currently, but whenever people bring them up, it’s always Cardi versus Nicki, one versus the other,” Thornwell said. “There can only be one female artist, versus the fives and 10s of male artists that pop up every single day.”

Draco, one of the event’s performers, grew up on hip-hop and said she is fascinated by the number of styles included in the mix — like trap, emo and conscious, among others. She said that just as her life has evolved, so too has her musical sound.

“Hip-hop is exciting because it’s damn near a sport, highly competitive with everyone wanting to be the best,” she said, in an email.

Her dream collaborations, Draco said, include getting a beat by Kanye West or a feature by Lauryn Hill. Draco said she sees Friday’s show as an opportunity to not only showcase the contributions of women in the genre, but to remind audience members that an all-women showcase can dominate just as much as men rappers do.

“It’s important because a lot of people don’t know how much women have contributed to hip-hop,” she said.

She Real, another artist performing at the showcase, echoed similar sentiments, saying it’s important to acknowledge those who laid the groundwork before her and allowed her to experiment with her own artistic creativity.

“People love to place women in a box. I intend to break down all barriers of what it means to be great ‘femcee,’” she said, in an email. “Until then I’ll let my music and work ethic speak for itself. Being underestimated has always been my superpower anyway.”

Anna Henderson | Digital Design Editor

Beyond the artists, Draco said it’s crucial to highlight the women managers and executives whose influence is great behind the scenes. Alongside its lineup, Friday’s showcase will also feature women vendors selling their artwork, including clothing, posters, art prints and branded merchandise.

Sabrina Elahi, the event’s primary marketplace vendor, said she was inspired to participate in The Ark’s showcase because of its desire to advance conversations surrounding inclusion and women’s empowerment. She said that being an SU alum, and a woman of Pakistani descent, the flyer’s promotion for a “platform for diversity, inclusivity, and campus alliance” was a message she was more than happy to get behind.

“I hope that anyone who attends the show realizes how important it is to give women a platform to share their art and passion,” she said, in an email. “It’s also important to have a safe space to create a place where everyone feels comfortable and can have a great time.”

Elahi, who has been selling her art since 2016, specializes in “colorful and vibrant artwork,” with particular focuses on gouache and watercolors. She said that for showcase visitors, not only is it important to support the work of the performers onstage, but the women vendors who utilize their creative talents to further women’s advocacy.

Friday’s performances aren’t only geared toward women, Marlin and Thornwell said. In order to shatter the hip-hop glass ceiling, that will rely on the combined efforts of all genders.

“What we want to do is to put on a show that rallies everyone to come out,” Marlin said. “This is open to everyone.”

For Thornwell, the mission of Friday’s concert is to challenge the forced rivalries between women hip hop artists: the showcase is a collaboration, not a competition.

“Let’s bring a bunch of women artists together,” Thornwell said, “and let’s show them that there can be more than one at one time.”

Published on April 17, 2019 at 9:12 pm

Contact Kelsey: katho101@syr.edu | @writtenbykelsey