JACKIE HILL-PERRY - Artist Profile

Real name: Jackie Hill
AKAs: Jackie Hill
Born: June 21, 1989
City: St. Louis, MO
Labels: Humble Beast, P4CM
Influences and favorite artists: Mali Music, Propaganda, Ebony Moore

Image source: Twitter

Jackie Hill-Perry is a spoken word artist, poet, and rapper from St. Louis, MO, who is famous (and infamous) for her writings and sermons on the topic of Christianity and sexuality. Hill-Perry was sexually abused in her childhood which she believes contributed to issues of gender dysphoria and homosexuality in her later life. Hill-Perry felt from a young age that she was supposed to be a boy, imitating male tendencies, and at 17 began a lesbian lifestyle. During this time she says she also struggled with addictions to sex, drugs, and pornography. In 2008, she claims to have had a divine revelation, and left her then-girlfriend to return to church, where she says she was "converted" back to heterosexuality by God and faith. She began writing her poetry and raps in 2010, and met her now-husband, Chicago poet Preston Perry, in 2013.

Hill-Perry signed to Christian label Humble Beast and released her debut album The Art of Joy in 2014. She has become controversial for her claimed status as an ex-lesbian and for her stances against homosexuality, and has spoken out against same-sex marriage. When hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis released their protest song in favor of same-sex marriage, "Same Love," in 2012, she claimed that she was proof that God can heal people who want to change and that embracing the homosexual lifestyle was sinful, and appeared to endorse harmful "reparative therapy" embraced by some religious groups. She later also said that even if God doesn't change one's sinful desires, He can give one the strength to resist them. These stances have been widely condemned by LGBT rights activists.

As an artist, Hill-Perry is influenced by gospel rap artists Mali Music, Propaganda, and Ebony Moore.

Solo Discography

The Art of Joy, 2014

GUEST APPEARANCES

• 
  2013
• "Organized Religion," Beautiful Eulogy feat. Eshon Burgundy and Jackie Hill-Perry (Instruments of Mercy)
  2014
• "Post Rock," Alert312 feat. Eshon Burgundy and Jackie Hill-Perry (Singular Vision)
• "Depressed," Beleaf feat. Ben Li, JGivens, Jackie Hill-Perry, Marty, and Mr. J. Medeiros (Red Pills + Black Sugar)
• "Same Team Remix," Swoope feat. Alex Faith, Jackie Hill-Perry, JGivens, KB, and Kidd (Because You Asked)
  2015
• "Queens," DJKB feat. Jackie Hill-Perry and Natalie Lauren (single)
• "Attack of the Clones," JGivens feat. Jackie Hill-Perry and John Givez (Fly Exam)
  2016
• "Misconceptions 3," Lecrae feat. Jackie Hill-Perry, JGivens, and John Givez (Church Clothes 3)
• "Kanye, 2009," Sho Baraka feat. Jackie Hill-Perry (The Narrative)
  2017
• "Darkie," Propaganda feat. Jackie Hill-Perry and Micah Bournes (Crooked)
• "Premeditated," Reconcile feat. Jackie Hill-Perry (Streets Don't Love You)

THE ART OF JOY

Released: 2014

TRACK LIST

1. The Argument

2. Better (feat. JGivens and Natalie Lauren)

3. Educated Fool

4. Miss Fearful

5. The Solution (feat. Eshon Burgundy)

6. Dead Preacher

7. Where's Love? (feat. John Givez)

8. I Just Wanna Get There

9. Suffering Servant

10. Ode To Lauryn

11. The Art of Joy