Meet Lachi | Award-Winning Creative Artist, Writer and Cultural Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lachi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lachi, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?

So, I identify as blind, meaning I can’t see. But I have this pesky habit of just plowing forward despite having no idea what’s in front of me. I’ll be with a group of friends or with my team at an airport, restaurant, festival, you name it, and I’ll whip out my mobility cane (decked out in jewels that match the heels of course), and walk at the front of the group. Every once in a while someone from the group will yell “left!” or “tree!” from behind me, and I’ll re-route accordingly. The team has long since learned that trying to get me to slow down is a non-starter. I may be slightly addicted to the boss energy of plowing through unsuspecting folks with my cane and heels, so what if I hit a few lampposts along the way.

I believe this is a microcosm of my greater personality. When I’m met with a challenge, an opportunity, a new relationship, I tend to jump all the way in with a very “let’s DO this” attitude – no fear of lampposts. It’s how we grew RAMPD to a globally recognized network with major brand partners in under a year, and found our music project on major platforms among other wins. You can’t be a trendsetter and fear setting trends. The secret is to have a smart, skilled, dedicated team to back you up and yell “tree!” when appropriate.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Lachi is an internationally-touring creative artist, writer and award-winning cultural activist. A legally blind daughter of African immigrants, Lachi uses her platform to amplify narratives on identity pride and Disability Culture. She’s helped increase accessibility to the GRAMMY Awards ceremonies as well as created numerous opportunities to music professionals with disabilities, through her organization RAMPD. With a goal to infiltrate pop culture with disability narratives, Lachi has also hosted a PBS American Masters segment highlighting disabled rebels and releases songs such as her singles “Lift Me Up” and “Black Girl Cornrows” that elevate disability and difference to the mainstream discussion.

As a recording artist, Lachi has seen millions of streams across platforms, with her music debuting on national charts, editorial lists, TV, Radio and film. Her latest music video “Lift Me Up”, an anthemic tribute to Disability Culture and pride saw 1 Million views on Tiktok and 700K views on Instagram in its first week with a premiere on MTV, spotlights on BET Soul, coverage in The Hollywood Reporter and Google.com, and support from Coldplay.

As an advocate, Lachi sits on the GRAMMYs Board where she serves as DEI Ambassador for the NY Chapter, supporting the Chief DEI on affinity resource initiatives. She also advises on the National Independent Venue Association and Songwriters of North America DEI committees while sitting on the Leadership Council of the NORA Project, which develops elementary school disability-empathy curricula.

As a small-town shy kid who’s overcome significant odds to eventually create world changing impact, Lachi’s fiction writing focuses on characters who tend to be a small-town girl met with significant odds in fantastical scenarios. Her latest novel Death Tango, a sci-fi thriller with distinct horror elements to be released in October, does just that. The novel has already received a stellar Kirkus review.

Named a “new champion in advocacy” by Billboard, she’s held talks or performed at the White House, the UN, SXSW, Fortune 100 firms, and has been featured in Forbes, Variety, Good Morning America, BBC and the New York Times for her unapologetic celebration of intersectionality through her music, storytelling and fashion.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

The Tiny Room in Inglewood is a great friend of RAMPD! Tiny Room shines a spotlight on the chemistry that can occur between the most talented of this generation’s pop artists and the most brilliant of this generation’s jazz artists.

It is a recording studio, performance space and community hub for artists, musicians and music lovers living in, touring through or visiting Inglewood or the greater LA.

Stop by their Monday night jam sessions for great music and a free drink!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I’d love to give a shout out to the following greats –

RAMPD.org – The platform connecting the music and entertainment industry to music creators and industry professionals with disabilities, and home to RAMPD Records.

RIZE Press – RIZE Press publishes books written by people of color and writers from historically excluded groups.

Website: www.lachimusic.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lachimusic

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lachi

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lachimusic

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lachimusic

Youtube: www.youtube.com/lachimusic

Other: Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0zpmym3a3nL8Z5I7sNbyF7

Image Credits
Image of Lachi in Blue top singing with Blue Flower – American Embassy of Peru / Lima, Peru 2023 Barbie Photo – GettyImages – Barbie Movie Premiere, LA 2023 All others – Lachi Music, LLC