AALBC Search
The Black Dot
The Black Dot NONE The Black Dot is renowned for his insight into the metaphysical aspects of Hip Hop, contributing to various media outlets and authoring the game-changing book, “Hip Hop Decoded.” A...
Toni Blackman
Toni Blackman 0000000036920264 Toni Blackman, an international champion of hip-hop culture, is known for her captivating performances and powerful presence. She's the first hip-hop artist to work as ...
Rakim
Rakim 0000000118505494 Rakim, a transformative hip-hop artist, gained fame with the album 'Paid in Full', named MTV's greatest hip-hop album. His unique style influenced artists like Jay Z, Eminem, a...
Ernie Paniccioli
Ernie Paniccioli 0000000114932974 Ernest “Brother Ernie” Paniccioli is a renowned hip-hop photographer, known for his work in the 80s and 90s. He authored the bestseller 'Who Shot Ya?' and was featur...
Nelson George
Nelson George 0000000115805862 Nelson George, born in 1957, is a renowned columnist, critic, journalist, filmmaker, and author of 21 books, including bestseller 'The Michael Jackson Story'. A pioneer...
Michael A. Gonzales
Michael A. Gonzales NONE Harlem-born essayist and short story writer Michael A. Gonzales, co-authored the seminal hip-hop book Bring the Noise. Known as the “hip-hop Chester Himes,†his fiction a...
Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash 0000000368452815 Every DJ set you have ever heard—every seamless beat transition, every manually looped breakbeat, every scratch—runs on an operating system that one person built i...
Winter Ramos
Winter Ramos NONE Winter Ramos, a seasoned Hip Hop industry professional, has over 10 years of experience as a wardrobe stylist for labels and as an executive assistant to artists like Fabolous. She'...
Halifu Osumare
Halifu Osumare 0000000031536722 Dr. Halifu Osumare, Professor Emerita at UC Davis, is a renowned dancer, choreographer, and scholar of black popular culture with over 40 years of experience. She has ...
Sister Souljah
Sister Souljah 0000000083868534 Sister Souljah, born Lisa Williamson in 1964, is a multidimensional woman renowned as a community activist, radio and TV personality, hip-hop artist, and bestselling a...
Mark Green
Mark Green NONE Mark Green serves as Associate Director/General Manager of Lehman Performing Arts Center, Chairman of Artist Relations for The Hip-Hop Museum (THHM), and maintains ownership of Celebr...
Thembisa S. Mshaka
Thembisa S. Mshaka NONE Thembisa S. Mshaka is a versatile creative executive, author, producer, filmmaker, and voice actor, renowned for her award-winning global ad campaigns and writings. She is the...
Tariq Trotter
Tariq Trotter 0000000001157609 Tariq Trotter, known as Black Thought, is a celebrated hip-hop artist and actor. With three GRAMMYs and three NAACP awards, he's produced albums both solo and with The ...
Khnum “Stic” Ibomu
Khnum “Stic” Ibomu NONE Khnum “Stic” Ibomu, part of socially conscious Hip Hop group Dead Prez, is a respected voice in the industry. Known for pioneering “Fit Hop”, Stic promotes holistic health and...
Vickie M. Stringer
Vickie M. Stringer NONE “I use my life as an example to warn others of the dangers of the drug game.” Vickie Stringer, the Queen of Hip-Hop Literature, has revolutionized the genre throu...
Bakari Kitwana
Bakari Kitwana 0000000114584527 Bakari Kitwana is a renowned journalist, activist, and political analyst, known for his commentary on politics and youth culture. He has been a consultant on hip-hop, ...
Felicia Pride
Felicia Pride 0000000046853843 Felicia Pride is a versatile author, screenwriter, producer, and educator with a career spanning over 15 years. She has written seven books, including the motivational ...
Rob Kenner
Rob Kenner NONE Rob Kenner is a key figure in hip hop publishing, known for his work with Vibe and his writings on cultural icons like Tupac Shakur and Barack Obama. His work has appeared in a number...
Dashawn Taylor
Dashawn Taylor NONE Dashawn Taylor is a contemporary novelist and Rutgers graduate known for his urban edgy style. A former finalist on BET's Ultimate Hustler Show, he's also the author of 'From Pove...
William Low
William Low 0000000083369217 William Low is an award-winning author, illustrator, and painter, renowned for his books “Chinatown” and “Old Penn Station.” He resides in New York City. William Lowis a ...
Flava Flav
Flava Flav NONE William Jonathan Drayton Jr., known as Flavor Flav, is a co-founder of the influential hip-hop group Public Enemy. Born on March 16, 1959, he's also a popular television personality a...
Blacc Topp
Blacc Topp NONE Blacc Topp, an award-winning author born in Benton Harbor, MI, and raised in South Dallas, used his love for writing to navigate personal loss and a challenging upbringing. From journ...
Jeff Chang
Jeff Chang 0000000367675451 Jeff Chang, renowned cultural critic and author of award-winning books such as 'Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation' and 'Who We Be: The Colorizatio...
Kyle T. Mays
Kyle T. Mays NONE Kyle T. Mays, an Afro-Indigenous writer and scholar, specializes in U.S. history, urban studies, and race relations. He's an Assistant Professor at UCLA and author of 'Hip Hop Beats...
Keith Knight
Keith Knight 0000000036407698 “Well, you know… cats have better representation in the comics than Black people.” Keith Knight, a Boston-born cartoonist, is recognized for his unique...
Heidi R. Lewis
Heidi R. Lewis NONE Dr. Heidi R. Lewis is an Associate Professor and Director of the Feminist & Gender Studies Program at Colorado College. Specializing in Feminist Theory, Hip Hop Culture, and Criti...
Fat Joe and Shaheem Reid
Fat Joe and Shaheem Reid MULTIPLE Joseph Cartagena, known as Fat Joe, is a platinum-selling rapper, actor, and entrepreneur from the Bronx who founded the Terror Squad label. Shaheem Reid is a season...
Chuck D
Chuck D 0000000368402543 Chuck D, born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, is a renowned hip-hop artist, social activist, and multimedia producer. Best known as the leader of Public Enemy, he has significantl...
Nikki Turner
Nikki Turner 0000000040675687 Nikki Turner, renowned as “The Queen of Hip Hop Fiction”, is an Essence best-selling author known for shedding light on the unseen side of street life. Balancing work an...
Professor Griff
Professor Griff 0000000081558057 Richard Griffin, known as Professor Griff, is a rapper, artist, lecturer, and member of the Hip-Hop group Public Enemy. He's a licensed personal security defense inst...
Teddy Riley
Teddy Riley 0000000078243847 Edward Theodore “Teddy” Riley is an American record producer, songwriter, singer, and musical innovator whose work has shaped the sound of modern R&B and hip-hop for mor...
Lyah Beth LeFlore
Lyah Beth LeFlore NONE Lyah Beth LeFlore is a seasoned television producer and entertainment executive with ties to prominent entertainers like Sean Combs and Mary J. Blige. She produced hit series l...
Ramon Hervey II
Ramon Hervey II NONE Ramon Hervey II is a renowned entertainment manager, brand consultant, and PR specialist. With four decades of experience, his firm Hervey & Company has represented hundreds of a...
Karrine Steffans
Karrine Steffans 0000000114494281 Karrine Steffans, born on August 24, 1978, is a former hip-hop video performer, actress, and bestselling author of “Confessions of a Video Vixen.” She's also the cre...
Virginia Hamilton
Virginia Hamilton 0000000114915488 Growing up on a small farm near Yellow Springs, Ohio, in the 1940s, Virginia Hamilton was lovingly embraced by the sights, sounds and smells of rural...
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver
Elizabeth Murphy Oliver NONE Elizabeth Murphy Oliver Abney, former city editor and columnist for the Baltimore Afro-American and granddaughter of its founder, has died at 85. A respected journalist a...
Abel Garcia
Abel Garcia NONE Dallas-based artist Abel Garcia, inspired by The Bible, hip-hop, graffiti, and the high renaissance, creates unique art using screen printing, acrylic and oil painting. Recognized as...
Jay-Z
Jay-Z 0000000118335528 Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, born December 4, 1969, is a highly influential rapper with a net worth over $1B. He founded Roc Nation, an entertainment company launching a new publishin...
Debra Lee
Debra Lee NONE Debra Lee, a recognized figure in entertainment, serves on multiple boards including Warner Bros. Discovery and Marriott International. As the former CEO of Black Entertainment Televis...
Lisa E. Davis
Lisa E. Davis NONE Lisa E. Davis is one of the nation’s foremost entertainment attorneys. She serves as chair of the Entertainment Group at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, where she represents cl...
Kim Watson
Kim Watson NONE Kim Watson is a versatile artist who has worked with top entertainment platforms like Disney and Warner Brothers, earning MTV, Soul Train and NAACP accolades for his impactful work in...
Marcus Kareem
Marcus Kareem NONE Marcus Kareem was born in Hip-Hop, and raised in Teaneck, NJ. He learned to write and music at early age, sitting on the floor sometimes of the record shop with a pencil and pad. ...
Walt Goodridge
Walt Goodridge NONE The “Passion Prophet” Walt F.J. Goodridge is a versatile individual with a passion for teaching. He has worked as an artist, engineer, DJ, author, and speaker among oth...
Brian Coleman
Brian Coleman 0000000109521409 Brian Coleman is a seasoned music journalist specializing in hip-hop. His work has been featured in various national magazines such as XXL, Scratch, CMJ, and URB over t...
Eware Osayande
Eware Osayande NONE Eware Osayande is a poet, cultural analyst, political activist, and author of seven books, including a notable work on Black Youth & Hip Hop. He presently serves as the media chai...
Davey D
Davey D NONE Dave “Davey D” Cook is a renowned journalist, adjunct professor, Hip Hop historian, political commentator, talk show host, radio programmer, and advocate for media justice and community ...
Abiodun Oyewole
Abiodun Oyewole NONE Abiodun Oyewole is a pioneering poet, teacher, and founding member of the influential American music and spoken-word group, The Last Poets. With a rich contribution to Hip-Hop's ...
LL Cool J
LL Cool J 0000000368571427 LL Cool J is a multi-talented figure: a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy-winning Hip-Hop artist, honored actor, best-selling author, philanthropist and CEO of Rock...
Banke Awopetu-McCullough
Banke Awopetu-McCullough NONE Banke Awopetu-McCullough is a Rochester-born author with degrees in Drama and African studies from University of Virginia, and Adolescent Education from Roberts Wesleyan...
April R. Silver
April R. Silver NONE April R. Silver is a renowned marketing strategist, cultural curator, and social justice activist. As the founder of AKILA WORKSONGS, she's known for creating influential social ...
Brandon McCalla
Brandon McCalla NONE Brandon Dewitt McCalla, a Brooklyn native, is an author inspired by comic books and J.R.R. Tolkien. After studying English in college and exploring the music industry, he realize...
Obari Cartman
Obari Cartman NONE Dr. Obari Adéye Cartman is a Chicago-based psychologist, educator, and author, specializing in issues concerning mental health, cultural identity, and manhood. He works as a resto...
Heru Ptah
Heru Ptah NONE Heru Ptah is a multifaceted writer, known for his work as a poet, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He's appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam, CNN, and has a novel published by MTV B...
Jeff Carroll
Jeff Carroll 0000000035873523 "Jeff Carroll, a pioneering author in Hip Hop horror, Sci-fi & Fantasy, is known for action-packed stories with a social edge. He has authored over five books, produced ...
Patrick Denard Douthit
Patrick Denard Douthit 0000000047281613 Patrick Denard Douthit, known as “9th Wonder”, is a Grammy-winning producer, DJ, lecturer, and social activist from Winston-Salem, NC. Born in 1975, he has bee...
Charlamagne Tha God
Charlamagne Tha God 0000000486501489 Charlamagne Tha God, born Lenard McKelvey, is a renowned media personality and co-host of The Breakfast Club radio show and Brilliant Idiots podcast. He's also a ...
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli 0000000108022237 Talib Kweli, renowned hip-hop artist, has been celebrated for his collaborations, solo works, and top-tier lyricism. Known for his partnerships with Mos Def, Kanye West, ...
Shaun Sinclair
Shaun Sinclair NONE Shaun Sinclair, a South Carolina native and Army veteran, is a renowned author known for blending crime and erotica in his novels. Leveraging his experience as a law clerk, his wo...
J. Ivy
J. Ivy NONE J. Ivy, a Chicago-born hip-hop poet, musician, and actor, has won a Peabody and Grammy award for his performances and collaborations with artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Bob Dylan. He...
Brittani Williams
Brittani Williams NONE Brittani Williams, discovered her passion for writing in a school assignment and has since authored numerous novels including Daddy's Little Girl, Sugar Walls, and The Black Di...
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers
Timbaland and Veronica Chambers MULTIPLE Timothy Z. Mosley, known as Timbaland, is a renowned music producer, part of hip-hop duo Timbaland & Magoo, and CEO of Mosley Music Group. Veronica Chambers, ...
Ben Greenman
Ben Greenman 0000000043364577 Ben Greenman, a New Yorker contributor and New York Times bestselling author, writes both fiction and non-fiction. Notably, he collaborated with Questlove on a hip-hop m...
EbonyJanice
EbonyJanice NONE EbonyJanice is a lecturer, speaker, and preacher with a focus on areas like Hip Hop Scholarship and Decolonizing Authority. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and Political Sc...
Michael Eric Dyson
Michael Eric Dyson 0000000108900116 Michael Eric Dyson is a distinguished scholar, Baptist minister, and public intellectual known for his innovative scholarship on race, religion, and popular cultur...
Kevin Coval
Kevin Coval 0000000053723529 Kevin Coval, author of ALA “Book of the Year†finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, is the Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival...
Chuck D and Kathy Lopez
Chuck D and Kathy Lopez MULTIPLE Chuck D, renowned rapper and leader of Public Enemy, pioneers in socially conscious hip-hop. Kathy Lopez, Chuck D's Pilates Guru, is a certified Pilates expert and ow...
Tony Keith Jr.
Tony Keith Jr. NONE Tony Keith Jr. is a Black American gay poet, spoken word artist, and hip-hop educational leader. Tony also CEO of Ed Emcee Academy and lives with his husband, Harry Christian III,...
Albert “Prodigy” Johnson
Albert “Prodigy” Johnson NONE Albert “Prodigy” Johnson was a globally recognized rapper, part of the duo Mobb Deep. Known for his reality-based music, he sold millions of albums worldwide. Prodigy al...
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah 0000000120268301 Queen Latifah, born Dana Elaine Owens, is a renowned rapper, singer, actor, TV and record producer. Known as the “First Lady of Hip-Hop,” she released her debut album i...
Kim Goodlook Seabrook
Kim Goodlook Seabrook NONE Kim “GoodLook” Seabrook is a proud native of the Bronx, New York. Poetry has been a form of therapy. After surviving so much, Kim learned to embrace and live in her truth,...
Torman Jahi
Torman Jahi NONE Torman Jahi, for the last 27 years, has been known as an international hip-hop artist, born and raised in East Cleveland, Ohio, and calling Oakland home for the last 25 years. Jahi,...
Brandon Williams
Brandon Williams NONE Brandon Williams, author of “Self-Value: The Story of Me,” shares his inspiring journey from childhood homelessness and delinquency to success. Raised in a low-income community,...
Lisa Jones Johnson
Lisa Jones Johnson NONE Lisa Jones Johnson is a Harvard-educated attorney, author, and CEO of NextGen Media Group. She launched a global social media platform and authored the award-nominated novel, ...
Michael Gordon Bennett
Michael Gordon Bennett NONE Author, actor, and entrepreneur Michael Gordon Bennett, born in 1958, is known for his book “7-10 Split: My Journey As America’s Whitest Black Kid.” He's also the CEO of B...
Douglas E. McIntosh
Douglas E. McIntosh NONE Douglas E. McIntosh, a New York-born writer, holds degrees in Finance and History from Pace University. With a background in banking and financial analysis, including a stint...
Flo Anthony
Flo Anthony NONE AALBC mourns the passing of Florence “Flo” Anthony Florence “Flo” Anthony, a pioneering African-American woman in sports and entertainment journalism, is a syndicated radio host and c...
Stacy Spikes
Stacy Spikes NONE Stacy Spikes, co-founder of MoviePass and founder of Urbanworld Film Festival, is an award-winning entrepreneur and former film marketing executive. Recognized as one of the most in...
Rufus and Jenny Triplett
Rufus and Jenny Triplett MULTIPLE Rufus and Jenny Triplett, Ebony Magazine’s Couple of the Year 2012, are a professional husband and wife team thriving in various fields together. With over 25 years ...
Joy Deja King
Joy Deja King NONE Joy Deja King, raised in various states across the US, is a modern author known for her young and edgy street-life novels. A journalism graduate from North Carolina Central Univers...
Kevin Mitchell
Kevin Mitchell 0000000352296686 Kevin M. Mitchell is a versatile writer, musician, and producer. A University of Missouri—Kansas City Conservatory of Music graduate, he has published over a dozen b...
Michelle Gadsden-Williams
Michelle Gadsden-Williams NONE Michelle Gadsden-Williams is the Co-Founder and COO of Ceiling Breakers LLC, a NYC-based firm specializing in diversity consulting and women's empowerment. She holds de...
Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander 0000000042691031 “He truly is a renaissance man.”—Nikki Giovanni Kwame Alexander is a bestselling author, poet, and educator, known for his award-winning book “The Cr...
Brenda M. Hampton
Brenda M. Hampton NONE Brenda M. Hampton, a native St. Louisan, is a passionate writer known for her addictive series, The Naughty Series. With over 20 novels, novellas, and anthologies to her credit...
Alana Tyson
Alana Tyson NONE Alana Tyson, a Brooklyn College and University of Maryland alumna, transitioned from journalism to national security before embarking on a writing career. She's a recipient of the Le...
Glenda Armand
Glenda Armand NONE Glenda Armand, winner of the 2006 Lee & Low's New Voices Award, is a former teacher and librarian passionate about sharing stories of enslaved African Americans and lesser-known hi...
Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck
Pamela M. Tuck and Joel Tuck MULTIPLE Pamela and Joel Tuck are a writing duo specializing in children's literature. Pamela, a Greenville native, began her career with poetry, expanding into short sto...
Wayétu Moore
Wayétu Moore 0000000474741880 Wayétu Moore is the founder of One Moore Book, a non-profit publishing culturally relevant books to promote literacy in countries with low rates. She opened her first b...
Jamil Jivani
Jamil Jivani 0000000499249737 Jamil Jivani, a Toronto native, is a visiting professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, focusing on youth, immigrants and low-income family issues. He founded the Citizen Em...
C.J. Watson
C.J. Watson NONE Former NBA star, C.J. Watson, penned a children's book in 2020, “C.J.'s Big Dream”, inspiring kids to work hard for their dreams. The book, potentially a series, follows a young boy ...
Emmanuel M. Arriaga
Emmanuel M. Arriaga NONE Emmanuel M. Arriaga, an award-winning author, grew up in Philadelphia, developed a passion for science and fantasy, and escaped a low-income life. Graduating with a Master's ...
Courtney Kelly
Courtney Kelly NONE Courtney Kelly, originally from New Orleans, is a civil engineer and project manager with a career in infrastructure projects. She holds degrees from Southern Methodist University...
Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Hall 0000000109992032 Rebecca Hall, JD, PhD, is a scholar, activist, and educator specializing in history, law, and intersectional feminist theory. A Berkeley Law graduate, she worked for low...
Ni’cola Mitchell
Ni’cola Mitchell NONE Dr. Ni’Cola Mitchell, an award-winning entrepreneur and Executive Producer for Lifetime Movie Network, is known for her contributions to empowering girls worldwide. She founded ...
Ziggy Marley
Ziggy Marley 000000011476515X Ziggy Marley, five-time Grammy-winning musician, actor, and activist, was born in Jamaica to Bob and Rita Marley. He began his career in music at just 10 years old and l...
Jihad Shaheed Uhuru
Jihad Shaheed Uhuru NONE Jihad, from a criminal past to becoming an award-winning author and motivational speaker, used his prison experience to educate himself and write the groundbreaking book “Str...
Cheslie Kryst
Cheslie Kryst NONE Cheslie Kryst was and attorney, former Miss USA. and News Correspondent. She died by suicide and her story was told in the award-winning book, By the Time You Read This: The Space...
Jayne Cubbage
Jayne Cubbage 000000049722195X Jayne Cubbage is an experienced journalist with a diverse career in electronic and print media, covering sports, business, and entertainment. Based in Philadelphia, she...
Arian Simone
Arian Simone NONE Arian Simone is an Ivorian queen, venture capitalist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, author, and board director whose life reflects resilience, empowerment, and transformative fearl...
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones 0000000072499091 “They are lucky that what Black people are looking for is equality, not revenge!” Kimberly Latrice Jones, born March 18, 1976, is a former bookstore manager...
Timothy George
Timothy George 0000000083235956 Detroit-born author Timothy George, renowned for his deep fascination with African-American history, adeptly combines education with entertainment in his novels. His e...