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“God Des and She: Never Give Up” gives an intimate look at the hip-hop duo

As they are arguably the most well known queer female hip-hop duo, it’s impossible to be both a lady loving lady and unfamiliar with God Des and She. Their career has become ubiquitous with Pride festivals, landing their now infamous song “Lick It” in Season 3 of The L Word and, subsequently, banned from MTV. Their outspoken brand of hip-hop started as an underground presence in small towns and has gone on to become a movement, breaking boundaries and shattering stereotypes within rap and R&B scene. While it is difficult to remember a time before God Des and She, it is impossible to think of them ever calling it quits. With all that they’ve already accomplished, they’re just getting started.

God Des and She have been touring together since 2004, with both members having performed as solo artists previously. Once colliding in Madison, Wisconsin, they became a force of unapologetic lyrics and fierce hooks, serving as a voice against double standards and inequality. While the media often puts more emphasis on their sexuality than their talents, the ladies rarely talk about themselves, unless it’s in regards to their craft. Because of that, there is little known about the history of God Des and She – until now.

God Des and She: Never Give Up is a docuseries brought to you by telloflims that follows the ladies on the road while “they bare all about the genesis of their partnership, their dedication to their fans, and their determination to make the world a better place for every member of the LGBT community.” The series is a candid look into their dynamic personalities, both playful and fierce, as they continue to build a career they hope will revolutionize the world, at least in regards to the LGBT community. Seems like a tall order, but don’t underestimate their influence quite yet.

The first episode features an interview with both God Des and She as they delve into how they met, where they find inspiration and just how they came to be one God Des and one She. The second episode focuses on God Des as she reminisces about growing up in a musical home, laughs about her ironically titled first band, Flaccid, and answers the question, “Why hip-hop?” As she explains, “I felt our community was completely invisible, and didn’t have a voice. I wanted to be a voice for the marginalized.”

Episode three, which drops this week, puts the spotlight on the more outspoken of the two: She. In the episode that is dedicated to her father, she revisits her hometown, waxes on about her rock and roll influences and singing backup for one of her heroes. The episode features an interview with her father, providing one of the most touching moments as his eyes nearly well up with pride as he tells stories of the beginning of She’s career, singing Olivia Newton John in the shower.

In describing their music’s initial appeal, God Des explains, “People really gravitated towards it because it was so honest,” which provides a great way to describe the ladies as well. A number of years ago, after first hearing their album United States of God Des and She, I found myself on an elevator in NYC with the two. Familiar with their music, I was expecting outlandish egos, as is often the case with hip-hop swagger. On the contrary, I found the ladies to be sincere, eager to share their stories and get feedback on what they had created.

The band’s most engaging characteristic is that they’re always looking to evolve, to change the narrative and to exact as much change out of their voices as they can; fortitude that Never Give Up captures perfectly. God Des and She are game-changers. Revolutionaries and non-conformists who anyone would want to kick back and have a drink with.

God Des and She: Never Give Up can be found at tellofilms.com

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