For most of us, tomorrow marks the beginning of the Christmas vacation, and Sleigh Queen is looking to kick it all off with some of Sydney’s hip-hop staples.

Hitting the Botany View Hotel from 7:00pm, Sleigh Queen is the brainchild of Omar Musa (who just released his fiery album Since Ali Died) and Carolina De La Piedra, who are throwing the event to raise money for Women’s Community Shelters in New South Wales. Tomorrow night, the Botany View Hotel will be soundtracked by the likes of Nes, Yemisul, Mowgli May, Joyride and FlexMami across two levels, while there’s also set to be art, giveaways and more for a good cause.

Ahead of the event, we caught up with Omar and Carolina to discuss their motivations for starting the event, what to expect and how they’re getting into the Christmas spirit. Read below, and find all the crucial information here:

How did you guys connect, and where did the idea for Sleigh Queen come from?

Carolina: To be really honest, we were set up on a blind date by our mutual friend and we’ve been friends ever since haha. Shout out to Amrita Hepi. Omar was pretty shook off the back of the #MeToo campaign. He reached out to me about holding an event that would help support women in some way. He knows it’s something I’m passionate about so we went forth. I’m also a survivor of domestic violence so this is something that is super close to my heart.

Omar: As a man, I feel like I have been conditioned by a system that acts physical, economic and even colloquial violence against women. But logically, if I can be a part of the problem, then I can try to be a part of the solution. An event like this is only a small drop in the ocean, but we thought it would be a fun, cool thing to do.

Proceeds from the event will go to Women’s Community Shelters in NSW. You cite an article mentioning that 1 in 3 women are turned away from women’s shelters in NSW due to lack of beds. Why do you think that this issue hasn’t received more attention, and how do you guys hope to change that with your event?.

Omar: I think that homelessness and domestic violence are issues that make people feel uncomfortable and a lot of still people wilfully turn a blind eye to them, despite the fact that they are a problem affect so many people in this country. I think we still live in a patriarchal society, where these type of things aren’t taken as seriously as they should be.

We are just hoping, in our own small way, to shine more light upon this issue, bring people together through music, and of course, raise actual funds for an organisation that could definitely do with them.

Aside from attending Sleigh Queen, what else do you suggest that people can do to help Women’s Community Shelters?

Carolina: You can actually make donations by going on their website here. It doesn’t even have to be money, you can donate non-perishable food, cleaning products, toiletries and women’s sanitary items.

Individually, it’s also about actions and behaviours. How can we help women as a whole after everything that’s come out this year? If you see a girl getting hassled on the street, stick up for her, ask her if she’s ok, it will only take a minute and it’s those small actions that can mean the world to someone.

Tell us about the line-up you’ve curated, and what we can expect on the night?

Carolina: We are sooo excited about the line up we’ve been able to put together. Hip Hop, RnB DJ’s upstairs and live acts downstairs. We wanted to create a line up full of boss ladies; DJs like FlexMami, Mowgli May, Diola, Yemisul, Nes are really contributing to the making of space for female DJs in Sydney. The work that they are putting in now will hopefully make it easier for the next generation of young girls to step up.

Some of Sydney’s young emerging artists will be downstairs, Rebecca Hatch is only 16! We’ve got Milan Ring, Amali Golden, Jannah Beth and Mirrah. A mix of original songs will be played on the night, covers and you might even hear some Christmas carols! We also thought it was important to have some strong male allies so we were stoked when Adit from Horrorshow and Joyride came onboard. We can’t thank the line up enough for donating their time for such a great cause.

Much of hip-hop has had a long, tumultuous problem with sexism and women’s issues. What are your thoughts on this, and do you think its changing with the prominence of artists like Nicki, Cardi, Beyonce etc?

Omar: I do think this is slowly changing, in this country too. And it’s about damn time, but there’s still a long way to go. Hip-hop has long been an art form drenched in machismo, it’s true. But I think it’s problematic to point the finger at hip hop as a particularly virulent bastion of misogyny when there’s a 17% gender pay gap in this country, when boardrooms and parliament are dominated by men who often act in horrendous ways.

Having said that, it doesn’t excuse the rampant misogyny we often see in hip-hop. We can’t just hide behind the argument that “it’s our slang” or “I’m a product of my environment,” when using the most degrading language against women. Surely we’re smarter than that. As artists, we not only hold a mirror up to the world — we can also project how it might/could/should be.

What is the reigning Christmas hip-hop track: Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas’ or DMX’s ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

Carolina: 100% ‘All I want for Christmas’ by Mariah Carey is the reigning hip-hop track and one of the best things about Christmas in general!

What are you guys hoping to receive from Santa this Christmas?

Carolina: After this week, an air con! Also I want you to come to Sleigh Queen!

Omar: Yeah, goddamn, Sydney. Air con. And a lifetime supply of Frosty Fruits.