On one recent Wednesday evening, music lovers gathered at Maxwell’s for the monthly showcase Uptown Underground.

White linen tablecloths and votives help create a sophisticated feel. Tonight the audience will see a few local artists including singer/songwriter Samm and vocalist Moe Soul. KeKe Wyatt is headlining.

The woman responsible for the night’s event is running around in a short, lightly embellished, monochromatic dress and heels. Her turquoise earrings give the ensemble a pop of color. She checks the front door to make sure the guest list is straight. Then she heads over to a few tables to make sure the patrons are comfortable. She has a few words with her assistant and stops to say "hi" to her mom, who attends the event as often as possible. It’s a lot to be chief organizer and main performer for an event, but R&B artist Jimmie Reign does it all with a smile.

“I needed to be able to perform in a setting where people would be open and receptive to who I am as an artist,” says Reign about creating Uptown Underground. “I also wanted to provide that opportunity for other artists.”

The last statement is more telling than the first. In an industry where artists and the folks behind the scenes are constantly in competition with each other, people who are lifting as they climb are not easy to come by. But Reign is all about empowerment, collaboration, family and the things that make a person “pretty inside.”

Reign started out like many singers in the industry. Her father’s a Baptist minister so singing in the church is definitely on the resume. Though she and her sisters grew up “singing our ABC's in harmony,” Reign was more focused on song writing, until she was asked to sing a hook.

“The first time I stepped in the studio I was like ‘OK, I want to do this. This feels like home,’” she says. But feeling like home didn’t equate to creating a debut album. Her first son was born and Jimmie went full on into the role of mother, leaving no time to grind for stardom.

“It took me a long time to try to find the balance between having a family and having a career,” Reign says. “I wasn’t really able to do that until about four years ago.”

Enter the "Go Girl Mixtape." At the time, Jimmie switched into full hustle mode. She was out every night trying to build a buzz. She was handing out flyers and CDs in the streets like a rapper would. She was also losing herself.

“I was really in an unhealthy emotional space,” she admits. “I was all about getting on any way possible. I didn’t care what anybody thought.”

According to Reign, the “go girl” mindset left her open to being taken advantage of and eventually led to a bad reputation.

“That’s why I tell women, if you’re going to be in this industry, you need to know who you are before you jump into anything,” she says. “It’s so easy to get side tracked.”

Today, a new Jimmie Reign has emerged. Her debut album "Pretty Girl" is packed with lessons of love and life. It’s not about the fun times and party life, but more about life when that season has passed. She’s also worked harder to showcase herself as an actual singer instead of an image.

“I’ve grown as a woman,” she says. “I know now that I don’t have to be super sexual or super out there to get on in the industry. People respect my talent more.”