GodBody Weekend: 4 Days of Empowerment, Music, and Community Spirit with Houston Activist & Rapper AJ McQueen
Join the Movement: AJ McQueen's GodBody Weekend Fuses wellness, Spiritual Strength, music and child-like joy in Houston!
Community leader, activist, and rapper AJ McQueen will host the highly anticipated 2nd annual GodBody Weekend from Feb. 15-18 in Houston, TX. This weekend aligns with McQueen's official city proclamation recognizing his impactful contributions to the people of Houston.
Reflecting on his decade-long commitment to community work, McQueen shares, "I've been involved in activism, community organizing, protesting and speaking out on gun reform. I founded the non-profit organization Writer’s Block which focuses on performing arts and literacy. Our initiatives include annual turkey giveaways, backpack drives, writing programs, and a free food program for the homeless. So, just from all the work I’ve done in the city I was given my own day from the mayor and I wanted to commemorate it with a four-day weekend.”
“Love yourself thug. And I apologize to my inner child, cuz it’s been awhile, before I made you smile.”
GodBody Weekend will embody that spirit of community building and giving back. Friday morning will start with a free food program for Houston’s homeless community, followed by Godbody Fitness which is focused on building physical and spiritual strength.
My introduction to AJ McQueen’s music was through a song my husband sent me titled, “Same” on TikTok. The lyrics radiate love for Black women, but as a Midwesterner something else that caught my ear was a St. Louis accent when he said ‘air.’
Turns out, I was right. AJ was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo. until he was 15 and now calls Houston his second home. “Long story short, I grew up in the streets of St. Louis around a lot of violence and I got shot when I was 15, then my mom sent me to Houston.” McQueen stated. “The biggest triumph from my upbringing is I found God through it all and I learned my resilience and ability to evolve through anything.” That triumphant spirit led to the GodBody lifestyle. “Godbody Energy is the name of my company. It’s simple, God in my body. It’s my brand, it’s my company, you know. It’s my personal mantra,” said McQueen.
This weekend will be an extension of his mantra. Friday evening will start with the GodTalks panel discussion, McQueen’s take on a Ted Talk. GodTalks will feature various influencers and community leaders speaking about everything from spirituality to consciousness and mental health.
Saturday starts with my favorite event, Inner Child and Intuition Field Day, which is a chance for adults to feel like kids again and includes dodgeball, kickball, spelling bees, and healing sound bowls. Helping grown folks reconnect with their inner child is important to AJ. It’s one of the focuses of his organization Writer’s Block and on his new song, “Be Light” he makes reference to embracing the child within. “Love yourself thug! And I apologize to my inner child, cuz it’s been awhile, before I made you smile.”
Many would call AJ’s music conscious rap, with lyrics that honor Black women and messages that uplift our community, a further extension of his dedication to leaving the world better than it was when he arrived 34 years ago. Bob Marley, Lauryn Hill, Tupac, Lil Wayne, Nas and Common are some of the musicians that shaped his musical palette. “The affinity that I have for making music about the Black woman is definitely inspired by Common,” he said.
AJ’s goal is for GodBody Weekend attendees is to feel more connected to the God that is within us all. “I want people to leave feeling inspired from my story, my life and my journey and how I got to where I am. I also want people to feel committed to the community and meet like-minded individuals. A lot of us try to find our soul tribe out here and it’s hard so hopefully people leave with that connection. I want people to gain a new sense of giving and charitable works and I believe that we should give more. And, lastly, I want people to leave feeling closer to God and feeling the God within,” McQueen stated.
The prices for the weekend are reasonable, $80 for the four-day weekend of eight events and the opening ceremony/mixer and closeting after party are free. For a full breakdown of pricing and to get your tickets, check out the Eventbrite page. If you’re not able to make it for Godbody Weekend but want to support, grab some merch, listen to his new album, “Sorry Ma, I was Distracted,” on Spotify and Apple Music or donate to the Free Food program for the homeless.
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