Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kim Belew. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kim, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I’ve worked on has been writing my latest album, which I also want to turn into a musical about my story of thriving after child sex trafficking, surviving ovarian cancer, and everything that comes with getting from the depths of the darkness to the light of having a purpose and finding hope.
Since giving a TedX talk about trafficking and my childhood in 2021 and also simultaneously being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I started writing music toward my third album that I have a vision of turning into a musical that tells the story of human trafficking that I hope will not only break the myths about what trafficking is and is not, but also give hope to others who have survived trauma of any kind and have felt isolated and alone.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

It’s a long and unique story of how I arrived at being a songwriter, speaker, and workshop facilitator. The short version would be that after years of living responding to life from the place where my trauma lived and not having a purpose at all, I showed up at this spiritual center feeling like I had no reason to go on living, and for the first time in my life, I was told I have a purpose. From there, I wanted to live so I could discover what that purpose was, and someone asked me to share a cover of the song “Where Is the Love” at that same spiritual center. What happened next changed my life. That same person told me to write my own music. When I told him I am not a songwriter, he told me he believed I was and that awakened something in me I didn’t know was there. That was 2005, and now, as I’m working on my third album and touring the country sharing music, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
I began my career as a conscious rap artist and couldn’t have dreamed where that would lead me. I now not only still write and perform conscious rap, but also sing and write with Grammy-winning songwriters, and have won awards for my music. I also found that writing music was a way to do deeper healing around my childhood, which led me to opening up and eventually giving a TEDx talk in 2021. The same spiritual center where I discovered my purpose invited me to be their spiritual leader, and I’ve been doing that for the last 3 years while also touring and working on my latest album of eclectic and unique original songs.
I also share Q and A and keynote talks with everyone from hospital staff to police departments and more, about trafficking and awareness. I also lead workshops around finding your purpose and joy in life and healing trauma as well as keynote speaking at spiritual centers around the country and giving concerts.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As I shared, I started out as a conscious rap artist sharing my own original rap and style. At the time when I began, rap had a lot of negative connotations around it, and though I was asked to perform for the first time at the spiritual center I am now the minister of, in the early days, whenever I would get up to perform there, 20 or more people would get up and walk out. That alone was devastating to me since I had discovered this gift there. I also had a lot lot lot of doors shut in my face because no one wanted to support me and my music.
I briefly pondered quitting music altogether because of how hard it was, but then got the message very clearly that I was meant to do this, and it didn’t matter who stayed or walked away; this was about me living inside my purpose, and I would connect with the right people at the right time. Now, I am living the dream of people reaching out to me to bring me and share music instead of me begging for a place to share. It really showed me that all I have to do is stay living in my authenticity and not give up on my purpose, and the rest will work itself out.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Keep supporting independent musicians. Make it accessible for all people to be able to learn and express through the arts.
Pour your money into paying the musicians directly through attending their concerts and buying their music and products instead of streaming platforms. Audience interaction is so meaningful after pouring yourself into creating something.

Don’t get enamored by AI-created art and music. It will never be the same as what the human soul can create and perform or move you to feel.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimbelew.com
• Instagram: consciousrapchic
• Facebook: kkbelew Kim Belew-Facebook
• Youtube: Kim Belew

Image Credits

Daniel Epstein, Alicia Eads Photography