Meet Leslie Segar, One Of Hip Hop’s Original Influencers

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In the entertainment industry, there are oftentimes a lot of talented people who aren’t given the flowers that they rightfully deserve. It can be due to the fact that they work/have worked behind the scenes or that so much time has passed since they were in the spotlight people are unaware of who they are. Regardless of the reason, these overlooked gems should be highlighted for their contributions to the culture. ‘Big Lez’ is one of those gems.

Leslie ‘Big Lez’ Segar was born in Jackson Heights, Queens. As a young teen, Segar was a gymnast. Due to her gymnastic abilities and muscular physique, she eventually earned her nickname. Big Lez got her bachelor’s degree in physiology and sport medicine from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. She put her degree to good use by serving as a personal trainer to the stars, working with the like of Diddy and Faith Evans.

Being a fitness specialist is only one of things she excels in. Segar has worked as a dancer, choreographer, on-air radio and television personality, producer and actress. Through out her career, Leslie has dominated airwaves, hosting and producing a multitude of her own number one shows across the country. She conducted interviews with some of the biggest international artists ever including Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G, Outkast, The Fugees and many more during her time as host of BET’s Rap City. As great as she was in every other field, her true passion was, is and always will be dance. She started as a nightclub dancer in New York City which led to her becoming cast in LL Cool J’s ‘Around The Way Girl’ music video. Once she became established, she began choreographing videos, most notably Mary J. Blige’s ‘Real Love’ and ‘You Remind Me.’ From then on, she became one of the most sought after dancer/choreographer’s in the game. In many people’s opinions, she is responsible for bridging the gap between sports, fashion, film, radio, television and hip-hop with her produced features from behind-the-scenes and special coverage of NBA All-Star & NFL Super Bowl games. To celebrate her work and legacy, we put together a gallery highlighting some of her best work. Shout out to a true legendary talent!