The Story Begins
“We cannot live mediocre lives!”
I am always up for an adventure, and it was during one of these adventures with two of my friends to Helsinki, Finland in the heart of winter 2017 as we took the midnight ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki where the above quote was spoken. An impact was made. Nothing was to be the same again.
Shortly thereafter in the early months of 2018, I was sick of the mediocrity of both my work and personal lives. I knew I couldn’t afford to quit, but I wanted to do more. With a unique perspective towards Hip-Hop and a then-newly discovered love for writing, Hood Intellectuals was born.
A Long Time Coming
It’s been a long
A long time comin’, but I know
A change gon’ come
Sam Cooke, A Change Is Gonna Come
Hood Intellectuals is more than just Hip-Hop. It’s about understanding more than what is apparent, more than what meets the eye. Every perspective is unique, and in a world full of imbalance and injustice, a world where the word “hood” has nothing but a negative connotation, a change gon’ come.
The Story Continues
Two years later and the story continues. From thousands of readers on Instagram to five separate Hood Intellectuals inspired trips to the United States and two limited HOODI releases, the world of Hip-Hop is a concoction of poetry, literature, culture, religion, art, politics, psychology and more desperately needing exploration.
Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?
JAY-Z, Renegade
Naturally, this wouldn’t be an “about” page without a JAY-Z reference somewhere and on that note, I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I do.