A Q&A With Christian Hip Hop Cancer Survivor: Lil Savvy

Kalen Hawkins, better known by his stage name Lil Savvy, is an American rapper and songwriter. Having recently gone viral on Tik Tok, Lil Savvy garnered his fame with his unique style and flow never heard or seen by anyone before in the music industry. Beating cancer is his biggest accomplishment, as he inspired his fans to stay strong and fight for life. Lil Savvy beat cancer in 2018; the doctor told him that he had stage 4 cancer and so he asked God to show him the way. In 2019, he made a full recovery and started making music. When he was in the hospital, all he could think about was getting back to the things he loved doing which was sports, events, and music.

His first album entitled “Everything Profit” was the catalyst to his transition from Hip-Hop to Hip Hop Gospel. His parents are Bishop Gary Hawkins Sr. who is the pastor of Voices of Faith in Stone Mountain, GA and his mother Debbie Hawkins is the pastor of Face of Victory, a church in Decatur. Lil Savvy grew up in the church but had a rocky lifestyle; now he’s happy to say that he is on the path of turning his life around.

We had time to sit down with Lil Savvy to discuss his struggles and his incredible journey forward in the music industry.

How was it being in the hospital for a year?

“It was hard being in the hospital. My parents had to work while I was in the hospital, the nurses and doctors became my family . When I didn’t feel good I had to press a bottom for the nurses to come comfort me . My body was hurting, my head was hurting, I lost taste in my mouth , and I lost hair, it was a tragedy for me!”

What was the hardest obastcle you had to overcome so far in life?

“Fighting cancer and trying to live a normal life after that.”

What was your biggest accomplishment so far in life ?

“Graduating from Georgia State! After the doubters doubted me !”

What made you want to start doing music?

“What made me start doing music was because I had to find things in the room to do, and music touched my soul during those hard times, people relate to music more and that helped me ease the pain.

What made you change from becoming a Hip-Hop Artist To Becoming A Hip-Hop Gospel Artist?

“God led me to do Hip-Hop Gospel because I was promoting the devil and God snatched me back into reality during the corona virus. It was a wake up call with the corona virus and he told me Lil Savvy serve me and that’s what I did.”

Who are some people you look up to in the industry?

“I look up to pop smoke , Kirk Franklin, six nine , lil durk, chief keef, not because of what they stand for or what they rap about , but because there style and flow is unique and I cant help but to like them.”

Where do you see yourself in the next five years ?

“I see myself owning several business and helping my dads church continue to grow and keep the legacy moving while being a gospel hip hop artist.”

What legacy do you want to leave your fans?

”I want to leave my fans a legacy of me being the greatest entrepreneur these kids have ever seen and the biggest hustler they have ever witnessed that beat cancer and came back super strong to speak positivity in there life.”

Be sure to follow Lil Savvy on YouTube, Instagram & Twitter today.