Shemica Sanders has lived a life that many aspiring artists can only dream of achieving.

Though many small town girls dream of a life of fame and stardom, few achieve that dream and even fewer do so with their souls intact.

As such, Sanders is one of the fortunate few to have gained the world and used those experiences to return home and make it a better place, mostly as a founding member the Sowing Into My Purpose (S.I.M.P) organization.

However, long before her time as one of the seminal figures in one of Washington County’s most well known nonprofits, Sanders made an early mark as the hip-hop artist ‘Mica Swain.’

The daughter of Ida and Willie Swain, Shemica had her artistry and musical talents recognized from an early age. Sanders began rapping and singing as early as 11 years old and would call into radio stations to kick freestyles for the hosts, something that caught the attention of more than a few hip-hop heads on the airwaves.

Much of the road to discovery was due to her early collaborations with other talented artists and like-minded people from the county.

“I joined a group in Plymouth that included Hamdiya Moore, Orlando Small and Torrey Hines and a few other guys,” she says. “They were already doing entertainment, they had a group called the Thoroughbreds and we all did a showcase in Rocky Mount…I left my date at Prom to perform at that showcase.”

While Sanders’ group would not win the show, it was enough to get her noticed by Big Daddy Kane, a judge of the event and one of the founding fathers of hip-hop.

“Big Daddy Kane was one of the judges and he saw my talent and wanted to work with me. I became his protégé and I started touring with him when I was 16 years old,” she says proudly.

In short order, Sanders was on a plane to New York City and soon found herself in the company of other hip-hop royalty like Slick Rick, MC Lyte and others before getting to work.

Despite her time on the road, Sanders still continued her education, albeit in an unconventional way that set her apart from her peers. However in those days, with a successful career, Sanders was not as focused on higher education...