BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo creator is hoping to inspire women in the industry by hosting an event showcasing their niche in the Queen City.
Sneakvibing Media presents the second annual Ladies First event.
"It's entertainment and education coming together," Sneakvibing Media founder, digital creator and writer, Schondra Aytch said.
For one night only, the Torn Space Theatre will be the hub for showcasing the women of the Buffalo hip-hop scene.
"It's a way for me to be able to create a space for women to be celebrated for what they're doing in the hip-hop scene, especially with the hip-hop artists in Buffalo that have taken off, signing labels, doing amazing things. We want to make sure that we highlight everyone, including the niche groups in Buffalo," Aytch said.
This project honors 18 women altogether. All 18 will be included in the 10-minute intermission film during the event. Four of these women will be the main performers for the evening.
"Visual art by Maggie Giamo. A rapper named Pretty Bulli, a DJ named DJ Lisa Lux, also another DJ named DJ Little Italy and then we also have a break dancer and krump dancer named Yanava Hawkins who is dancing with a group of Buffalo dancers as well," Aytch said.
Aytch is hoping this new generation of listeners and artists challenge the outdated perspectives of women within the hip-hop community.
"I've noticed that being a woman that works in the hip-hop scene, and being interested in the hip-hop scene, that there's a lot of women who work behind the scenes but you don't see them," Aytch said.
She is ensuring women like Hawkins get the attention they deserve.
Hawkins, co-founder of Girl Gang Entertainment LLC, shared she is using this weekend's performance as a way to honor and continue her brother's legacy. Her brother Jimmy "Rook" Hawkins was an influential krumper in Buffalo who passed away in 2022.
"Krump is our foundation just because there's a lot of emotion that goes into it. I just want to keep his legacy alive and just focus on movement and how people can express themselves through movement," Hawkins said.
Hawkins is part of a trio from three different backgrounds that will be performing on Saturday.
"I have Stacy who is mostly a b-girl but she has some contemporary in there too, then Natanya she's a b-girl, temporary, lyrical and my foundation is krump. We're going to be using three different backgrounds of dance to convey emotion as women and as artists," Hawkins explained. "I'm excited. This is the beginning of a big movement, especially for dance. I feel like there's been a void in the dance community recently. So, I'm ready to reignite it."
The second annual Ladies First event will take place on Saturday, May 11.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m.
Tickets are $25/person, $10 for students who show their student ID.
*Tickets are limited.*
More information can be found on Sneakvibing.com.
Real-time updates about all things Sneakvibing Media can be found on the company's Instagram page here.
Creators/Artists/Musicians for this year's Ladies First event can be found via their social media platform below:
Schondra Aytch: @SchondraAtheWriter
Pretty Bulli: @Pretty_Bulli
DJ Lisa Lux: @djlisalux
Yanava Hawkins: @ii_am_navi
Maggie Giamo: @maggiegiamoart
B.Flo-Girls: @b.flogirls
