Out and about with God-des & She

The hip-hop/soul duo takes the stage Saturday at Pride

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Since 2006, God-des & She, a two-woman hip-hop duo, has been making a name for itself in the music world. The two were first noticed after an appearance on Showtime’s hit series “The L Word”; since then, God-des & She have hit the No. 1 spot on the MTV Logo countdown with their song “Love You Better,” sold over 40,000 albums and performed in venues from New York City to Sweden. In a phone interview last week, the women — who originally hail from the Midwest —said they could not be happier to take the main stage at this year’s Michigan Pride festival. 

“If I could play Gay Pride every day I would,” said God-des, the wordsmith and rapping half of the twosome. “People come (to Pride) one day a year and they actually feel like they can completely be themselves. They’re really receptive to our performing.” 

As openly gay artists, God-des & She have taken it upon themselves to reach out to members of the LGBTQ community. A large portion of God-des’ inspiration as a rapper came from feeling like the community did not have a voice. 

“We talk about struggles within the community and ways we can make change out of that,” God-des said. “We’re very out in our music.”

God-des & She’s fanbase spans across the board, from young adults to senior citizens. God-des said that older members of the LGBTQ community have even spotlighted the duo as being on the “frontiers of the movement,” commending their modern style. 

“In the 1970s, feminism and gay pride was centered in folk music and poetry,” God-des said. “(Older members) respect the fact that it is still political through hip-hop.”

Being out rappers in a hetero-normative society has not always been easy for the two, but God-des insists that their dedication and honesty have brought them success. The duo releases its fourth studio album later this year. 

“I think it’s really important to rap or sing about things that are important to you,” God-des said. “If you’re not genuine in your music, people aren’t going to receive it.”

God-des & She

2 p.m. Saturday, June 16

Main Stage, Michigan Pride Festival in Old Town

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