‘Women in Hip-Hop’ panel inspires at A3C Festival

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photo credit: gené hunter

On Oct. 10, A3C Festival hosted the “Women in Hip-Hop” panel in the Loudermilk Center’s ballroom in Atlanta. The event was hosted by Bossip’s Janee Bolden and featured women from hip-hop and entertainment.


Shanti Das, Mali Hunter, Julia Beverly, Akim Vann, and Karen Civil served as panelists. The panel’s main topic of discussion was entrepreneurship and each woman was able to share pieces of advice as well as personal stories with the audience.


When asked about their areas of passion and what inspired them to pursue their craft, they all were able to bring something different to the conversation. For Karen Civil, it was her love for the internet that gave her a start. Civil stated, “I wanted to curate content, share exclusive music, and give you a reason to visit my website.” For Mali, it was something different. With a musical background and a love for big names such as MTV, BET, and Michael Jackson, she chose the music industry. However, her path was not for herself. Mali stated, “I witnessed the mishaps people would go through in the industry and it inspired me to get behind-the-scenes and make sure none of my friends would be ripped off.” One piece of advice she shared with the audience was, “Take your path, be patient, time is going to pass anyway.”

As the conversation continued, the women were asked to share what they looked for when building a team and how to go about creating a great partnership. Shanti stated, “Often times, especially as women, we’re in competition and we’re afraid to partner with one another. Find people with the same values and are able to create balance.” The panelists continued on, sharing that you need to find what works for you and learn what you can do on your own as well as avoiding like-minded individuals; surround yourself with people you are able to learn from.


Julia Beverly compared a partnership to being in a marriage, but also revealed that she is against partnerships. Beverly stated, “I’m not good at partnerships because I like doing things my way.”

Before allowing a brief Q&A with the audience, the ladies were asked to share any unexpected hurdles they’ve had to face while pursuing entrepreneurship. Karen Civil shared that for her, it was the concept of having it all together. She told the audience, “There is nothing wrong with asking for help, failing, or expressing your emotions.” For Julia Beverly, it was getting used to being a brand and knowing that everything reflects back on not just her as a person, but her business, as well.

With influences ranging from Angie Martinez to Queen Latifah, as well as being inspired by one another, each panelist was able to share wise words and provide more insight on what it takes to be a woman in hip hop.

-gené hunter

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