Hey ya’ll! We are super excited for today’s edition of Boss Babes Changing the World.
Today is a very special day, it is International Women’s Day! This is a day to celebrate the many accomplishments of women all around the world and their contributions to society. Today I will be introducing you to the extremely talented and gorgeous Ashly Edithrose Hines.
Although her fans know her as A$h Da Huter from the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Camp Verde Arizona.
First, let me tell you about how I was introduced to this awesome Native Artist. Several months back, there was a local Native American Hip Hop event hosted by a great entertainment company called NSO Entertainment.
There were so many talented native American artists performing at this show and it was the first concert I ever took my ten-year-old son D’Andre to. The love that these artists give to the children at these events was the coolest thing and he still talks about it today! We went as a group with my husband, my brother, my uncle, and my cousin. It was the best night out we had in so long! The vibe was contagious, and every single performer did their thing.
A$h Da Hunter was one of these awesome artists that performed that night and I was instantly a fan. Her tone, her look, and the way she expressed herself through song really stood out to me.
Her audience was captivated and one thing I will always remember was how her mom was front row taping and cheering her on. I could literally see the proud light radiating all around her. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to include A$h in this series and have the opportunity to learn more about her.
A$h Da Hunter is an independent musician/performer/rapper, so in a way, her brand is her business. She shared that she has always been an artistic and creative person, but that she got into the hip hop scene around 2016. A$h started putting her own music out in 2018. Here is some footage from that night so you can check her out for yourself!
We were curious about what A$h Da hunter wanted to be when she was a young rez kid, and she shared that she wanted to be a veterinarian because she loved animals.
We definitely have this in common! I thought I wanted to be one when I was a little girl too but learned really quickly that me and blood just didn’t mix well. I would often faint at the sight of it, and I thought that may take the attention away from the animals in need.
A$h Da Hunter shared that “It started with me wanting to see my own like and kind in the spotlight. If you walked into any reservation right now, 90% of women are built just like me. I want everyone to know that we are beautiful and badass, and it shouldn’t matter if you’re a big girl like me, skinny, tall, or short! That our story and voices MATTER!”
We couldn’t be prouder of you A$h, and it is so damn refreshing to see someone who looks like me thriving, living their dreams, and sharing their truths for the world to see. The best part is that you do it CONFIDENTLY. I am personally inspired by you, and I know there are so many more ladies out there that are inspired to share their gifts and talents with the world too.
I know the judgement we can receive simply for seemingly being comfortable in our beautiful skin, but something happens when we see another amazing woman doing it that makes us feel the courage and power to do the same.
Next, we asked what a typical day looks like for A$h Da Hunter and she shared “A typical day for me is usually getting ready for school and studying. Right now, I’m currently trying to get my degree in music business and when I am not doing schoolwork, or making brand new hits, I am usually at home helping my mother and grandmother.”
Everyone has someone or something that inspires them, and for A$h “I’m such a hip hop head that a lot of my inspiration comes from my favorite hip-hop artists like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Baby Keem. I love their ability to tell their pain through their trauma, and through their music. It inspires me to want to tell my pain and trauma too”.
It can be difficult to find the courage to go after the dream life you want. A$h shared for her “The hardest part is trusting myself and trusting the process when it comes to putting new music out.” The best advice she ever received was “Negativity is a choice.” This is advice that I plan to take into my own life. Every morning when we wake up, we have the choice to have a positive day ahead.
We wanted to know who A$h recommends that we follow on social media and she shared “Shout out to all my artistic natives! I don’t think as a musician I give enough credit to people who have helped me with my branding. I wanna tell everyone to go follow Derayna Declay from the White Mountain Apache Tribe. She did the album artwork for my newest album that just dropped called “Playing with Prey“. I also wanna shout out Jay Smiley from the Navajo nation who created my A$h Da Hunter logo. Both are amazing artists! I also wanted to shout out Mato Wayuhi! He’s such an inspiration to native musicians. He composes the music for “Reservation Dogs”, and we actually just dropped a new music video together called “Stankface“. You should most definitely give it a listen. I am incredibly proud of Mato and everything he accomplished.”
Please take this opportunity to check out the other incomparable artists mentioned throughout the article.
This is a moment in history where the grandchildren of the Native Americans that survived are reclaiming their traditions, their languages, and absolutely THRIVING in every single avenue imaginable. I personally feel so honored to be alive to witness a time such as this and I know our ancestors are extremely proud of artists like A$h Da Hunter as well!
Beautiful women all over the world are making a difference in their communities every single day. When we asked A$h how her brand is changing the world, she advised “With a humble heart, I want to believe I am breaking down doors and changing the game. If you listen to my first album, I come in swinging, not just for me, but for female native rappers everywhere. In a way, I’m showing the native community that healing comes in many forms, and I hope people see that in my music.”
Let me tell you, we not only see it, but we feel it too. If I can make a confession, when I was a child, I too wanted to be a famous singer. I would perform everywhere I went since I was toddler.
My mom always reminds me that I was her little dare devil rockstar who wasn’t afraid of anything. Somewhere along the way, I did become afraid. Afraid of what others would think of me and ashamed of what my body looked like compared to the girls on TV and in the magazines.
Fast forward to this day in age, and we have incredible artists of all shapes and sizes. The little girl in me is SO VERY PROUD to see you all doing your thing! The way you chase your dreams, chose to shut out all negativity from the world, and chose to pour your hearts love out into it instead, will forever stay with me. Not only me, but girls everywhere who have a dream to be in the spotlight.
They will see you and know that they too can do this! Thank you for being that example A$h. The spotlight was made for you, and I cannot wait to see and support all of your future endeavors.
You can find A$h Da Hunter’s work on pretty much every social media platform. Go follow her Instagram @Offical_Ash_da_hunter. Follow her on twitter at A$hDaHunter. Find her music on all streaming platforms like Apple, Itunes, Bandcamp, Spotify, Soundcloud under A$h Da Hunter.
Hurry up and go bump her stuff, you will be glad you did!
To end today’s segment, of course we had to ask some beauty related questions! Here are A$h Da Hunters picks!
Lip-gloss or Lipstick?
“Both! I love to wear dark red lipstick and top it with lip gloss.”
Full Glam or Natural Look?
“I love a full glam look! I love doing my eyes and beating my ace up with foundation LOL! (YES GIRL, US TOO!)
Mascara or Lashes?
“Def Mascara!”
Heels or Sneakers?
“I’m a sneakers girl! I’d wear sneakers with a dress anytime.” (Again, US TOO!)
Dress up or Dress down?
“I love being comfortable, so I def say dress down. I tease that I’d go to the Grammys in my sweats and sweatshirt if I could, LOL!” (We fully support this)
Alright everyone, that does it for today’s Boss Babes Changing the World shoutout. We hope you feel inspired! There are so many ways one can make an impact and we all have gifts and talents within us, given by the creator, that were meant to be shared.
The world needs what you have!
As always, if you know someone who deserves to be in the spotlight for their contributions to society, please send your nominations to Cynthia@CynthiaCovington.com. Thank you so much for tuning in and we will see you on the next one.
