BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo's hip-hop scene takes center stage next Sunday with the 4th annual "Ladies First" event, featuring immersive performances and visual artwork at Silo City.
The event runs June 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets are still available.
Schondra Aytch, founder of SneakVibing Media, created the event as a nod to hip-hop's first lady, Queen Latifah. The celebration showcases Buffalo artists across every art element in the hip-hop scene, with a focus on encouraging women.
"I just want to support the women who are showing their greatness through their art and also the women who are nurturing it because there are women who are supporting, mentoring these artists and creatives in the city who become bigger and grow outside of the city," Aytch said.
This year's event is expanding in scope and moving to a new location.
"What's different this year is that we're just going a little bigger, a little better, elevating more. We have three visual artists that will be sharing their work, Bree Gilliam, Nix and also KenBoii," Aytch said.
Visual artists Bree Gilliam and KenBoii will showcase work that embodies emotion, bold colors, paintings, and pieces that empower and celebrate women.
"Capturing people of color, people who look like me, women of color, and I like to just promote positivity. I like to promote empowerment, addressing issues that are often overlooked," Gilliam said.
KenBoii described the themes woven throughout her work.
"Black culture empowerment, as a woman of color and also a gay masculine presenting woman, I feel like pride is a lot in my work, so a lot of the times it's a lot of very powerful striking colors and just emphasizing the beauty of all of that encompassed into one piece," KenBoii said.
Headlining this year is R&B artist, songwriter, and engineer Labrina, who appeared on "On the Radar Radio" in the fall.
"I'm super excited. I think it brings a highlight to those who are in my field that don't often get a lot of light because of it being a rap-oriented city," Labrina said.
Labrina plans to blend familiar songs with new material during her set.
"I'm thinking I want to kind of dive into my past but also dive into my current and new music that I'm working on currently," LaBrina said. "My sound has completely transitioned, so I want to kind of bring a little things that people know about me and the songs that they know already and then I want to bring some new songs as well."
Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase merchandise and artwork from each artist at the event.
Gilliam said the Buffalo arts community stands apart in how it rallies around its own.
"Oftentimes, artists don't feel supported. We're lucky to have a Buffalo arts community that just supports each other," Gilliam said.
KenBoii said events like this give visual artists a chance to step out from behind their work.
"Visual artists or painters, they kind of get a little bit left in the background sometimes you'll see our work, but you don't really get to see like the artist behind them and that really does matter because you see the person and you see what they put into the art and you see what we're trying to reflect," KenBoii said.
Tickets for the June 7 event at Silo City in Buffalo are available here.
