Don’t Sleep: Meet Atlanta’s Lil Savvy. Cancer Survivor Turned Gospel Rapper
Atlanta, Georgia is a hotbed for Hip-Hop talent, it seems like everyday there is a new rapper emerging from the A. With a majority of the hottest acts in the game dubbing the city as home, things don’t seem to be changing anytime soon.
ATL birthed the subgenre of “Trap Music”, the brass, triangle, triplet hi hats, loud kicks, snappy snares and low end 808 bass samples used have taken the game by storm and firmly stamped Atlanta’s influence over the Hip-Hop world.
So when an artist from the city decides to take another route with their music it’s also intriguing to find out why. With that being said, take the time out to learn about Lil Savvy who is not only going against the grain by not making trap music but by also becoming a Gospel rapper.
Learn more about Lil Savvy’s story below.
“Black Hollywood” were the first words to leave Savvy’s mouth when I asked him to describe his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia to someone who may have never been. Kalen Hawkins better known as Lil Savvy is born & raised in Atlanta.
Savvy even stayed close to home for college, he is an alumnus of Georgia State University . An accomplishment that we both felt should be celebrated more in the black community and in Hip-Hop especially.
“It’s not toomany people doing it being different and educated is a good look for Black Hip-Hop rappers. Because we are promoted for the wrong things like violence“
Before experiencing the joy of graduating college, Lil Savvy went through the most turbulent times of his young life. In 2017 he was diagnosed with Cancer.
“It was rough period, I had to to lock in my doctors told me stay strong everything will be smooth. Doctors told me don’t go out stay away from people. To beat it I had to follow directions. I started making music during this time because I didn’t have much to do.
A year later in 2018, Savvy beat Cancer, and those turbulent times turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Atlanta rapper.
“When I got healthy I went to the studio and started recording. I went back to school & got my degree from Georgia State.”
Not only did Savvy get his degree he was also able to record and release all the music he wrote during his fight with cancer.
In 2019 Savvy dropped his debut project “Everything Profit” .
Everything Profit is a solid project with tracks like, “NBA” (my personal favorite) that speaks on Savvy’s battle with cancer & “Mad Rich” (Savvy’s personal favorite).
Although Everything Profit is Savvy’s debut tape, he knows what he’s got in store next is his best and most fulfilling work.
Savvy recently made the transition into a gospel artist after winning his battles with cancer. Having both his mother and father as pastors Savvy felt this was his way of gibing God thanks for his “second chance”.
“My parents are pastors, I felt like I was going against the grain. Hip-hop doesn’t promote God. God gave me a second chance so I felt like giving him glory, using this to give him glory for giving me a second chance.”
As things slowly begin to open back up after the initial wave of Covid-19 we can expect a lot from Lil Savvy, he has plans of starting his own entertainment and PR label, signing artist and business people to handle distributing and marketing. Savvy also plans to have a tour where he hits churches instead of venues.
Savvy also dropped off some advice for emerging artist.
“Stay focused and make the best investment. Don’t get money and and go to the strip club or get a chain. Invest into marketing things you can possibly get your money back from . Money ain’t for everybody some people don’t know what to do with it.”
Be sure to follow Lil Savvy below to stay current with all he has going on.
https://www.instagram.com/realilsavvy/