Hip-Hop Raised Me

Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of Kool Herc’s Bronx rec room party, which signified the official beginning of the culture we now know as “Hip-Hop”.

Hip-Hop changed my life in a major way, and I’m sure many of you can probably relate. It gave me direction and structure, and undoubtedly got me into some trouble as well. But it was all worth it.

Most of us who fell head over heels in love with this beautiful culture can remember the first moment of our obsession. I think back to 1991, when I witnessed A Tribe Called Quest’s “Check the Rhyme” video in which Phife and Q-Tip seamlessly traded bars on the rooftop. Prior to that moment, I was no more than a casual fan, but that life changing experience convinced me— “I want to do that”.

Of course, I didn’t know what “that” meant, but a lifelong obsession was born, and so began my decade long experimental phase, which started out with me scratching up my dad’s record collection. A few years later, I officially taught myself to DJ on air at my college radio station. Those offbeat scratches and mixes must have been excruciating to listen to, but they eventually led me to booking DJ gigs at parties every weekend.

Naturally, that love expanded to making beats and writing rhymes, and after interning at the now defunct Relativity Records and RED Distribution my Junior year, I decided I didn’t want to work so hard to promote other people’s music when I could just focus on my own.

So for over a decade, that’s exactly what I did. I learned to record and mix my own music, design my own flyers, write my own press releases; and conducted countless hours of research to find writers, promoters, and anyone who could help me expand my reach.

I gave it my all. And sometimes I succeeded, but many times I failed. I was my own guinea pig.

And this is why I’m such a huge proponent of a couple things.

1. Learn it all — Best case, you’re extremely successful and have attained your dream, because you’ve outworked everyone. Worst case, you’ve built such an impressively diverse skill set that you’re going to be a huge asset to anyone who’s lucky enough to hire you. This is the beauty of independence. It’s DIY.

2. Go after your vision without hesitation — I don’t believe you need a plan B if you’re learning all of the skills you need while experimenting with ways to build your own brand. All of the skills you will eventually master will become your plan B. It gives you the opportunity to create multiple streams of income, which is often necessary in our world of entertainment. And because if you can build your own brand, you can build others’ brands as well, and it will be easier each time.

That being said, I do believe in cracking down and focusing on one discipline at first, because once you’ve created a name for yourself as being very proficient at one skill, the word will spread. And that success will allow you more opportunities and freedom to expand into new ventures. But you need to stand out and master that one skill first. Think of it as that first domino that will knock over the rest.

Personally, that first domino came simply as a result from my love for Hip-Hop. Like I said, I wanted to “do that”. And “that” became DJing, producing, writing, recording, performing, releasing music, starting a label, becoming a booking agent, writing screenplays, and making documentaries, just to name a few.

And after years of “doing that”, I finally got the opportunity last year to personally thank Q-Tip for changing my life’s trajectory. Of course, he downplayed my statement of gratitude with complete humility, but I meant it with all of my heart.

Thanks again for tuning in. I really appreciate those of you who have taken the time to respond with suggestions or words of encouragement. I also hugely appreciate all of you who have shared the newsletter with friends, fam, co-workers, and others. I hope I can continue to provide some valuable substance and lessons that help you on your journey.

Til next week.