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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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick 0000000078273077 Marie Dionne Warwick (born December 12, 1940) ranks among the 40 biggest US hitmakers between 1955–1999, based on her chart history in Billboard’s Hot 100 pop singles...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Yvette Moore
Yvette Moore NONE Yvette Moore is a Brooklyn-based author and publisher known for “Freedom Songs” and “Just Sketching.” She runs Jubilee Year Communications and serves as the communication director f...
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,...
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,...
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson 0000000110665899 Curtis James Jackson III, known as 50 Cent, is a renowned rapper, actor, and entrepreneur, raised in South Jamaica, Queens. Overcoming early life struggles a...
Arthur Herzog, Jr.
Arthur Herzog, Jr. MULTIPLE Arthur Herzog, Jr., a songwriter, has penned a number of songs performed and recorded by top jazz musicians including John Coltrane and Dinah Washington. His most notable ...
Uzoma R. Ezekwudo
Uzoma R. Ezekwudo NONE Uzoma “Uzo” R. Ezekwudo is a graduate of Economics from the University of North Carolina who discovered a love for writing in her adulthood. She's penned a diverse collection o...
Paul Simon
Paul Simon 0000000114799181 Paul Simon is a renowned artist recognized with twelve GRAMMY Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. He is an honoree in the Songwriters and Rock & Roll H...
Rick Rigsby
Rick Rigsby NONE Rick Rigsby, Ph.D., is a renowned motivational speaker, author, and ex-college football coach from Texas. Widely recognized for his stirring speeches on leadership and personal respo...
Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt 0000000120374593 Usain Bolt, born August 21, 1986, is recognized as the fastest person ever timed. He holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, won six Olympic gold medals, ...
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...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke 0000000073649493 Sam Cooke (1931-1964) is one of the most iconic singer-songwriters in American history. His influence spanned genres, and his genius as a singer, songwriter, producer, ent...
Tammy Merkison
Tammy Merkison NONE Tammy Merkison, a dedicated writer and local model/actress from Central Florida, started her career in aviation maintenance but returned to her passion for creative writing in 200...
Camille Yarbrough
Camille Yarbrough 0000000063310082 Read a Wonderful Article Describing Yarbrough’s Life NANA CAMILLE YARBROUGH Ms. Yarbrough, a multi-talented veteran of theater, film, ...
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...
Michael Eric Markland
Michael Eric Markland NONE Michael Eric Markland is a Computer Science graduate with a minor in Psychology. His invaluable experience as a big brother and father has led him to share his insights on ...
Stephanie Renee Bell
Stephanie Renee Bell NONE Stephanie Renée Bell, an author of 5 books and a gifted musician, dedicated her life to her faith and art until her passing in 2010. Renowned for her Christian rap songs, p...
Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher 0000000120179050 Antwone Fisher is an American screenwriter, poet, lecturer, and best-selling author known for his autobiographical book and film, “Antwone Fisher.” Born in an Ohio pri...
Jamila T. Davis
Jamila T. Davis NONE Jamila T. Davis, a former self-made millionaire and now motivational speaker, uses her experiences from rising to the top of her field, to her fall into bankruptcy and imprisonme...
Alisa Hyman
Alisa Hyman NONE Alisa Hyman, a Maryland native and Hampton University graduate, is a high school English teacher and mentor in Washington, DC. With a passion for writing rooted in her love of books,...
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 0000000081090255 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor in 1947, is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. A 7-foot-2 Hall of Famer, he dominat...
Princess F.L. Gooden
Princess F.L. Gooden NONE Born and raised in Atlanta, Princess F. L. Gooden is a gifted writer, poet, and dramatist. She started writing at a young age, and by 13, she had written and directed plays ...
Melvin Gibbs
Melvin Gibbs 0000000055545607 Melvin Gibbs is a Grammy-nominated composer, musician, artist, and writer born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Widely recognized for his groundbreaking work across ja...
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer 0000000121457526 Joyce Meyer is a leading practical Bible teacher and a #1 New York Times bestselling author. She's authored nearly 100 books translated into 100 languages, with over 30 m...
Julius Lester
Julius Lester 0000000114547822 Julius Bernard Lester (1939-2018) was a Missouri-born author, musician, and civil rights activist. Graduating from Fisk University, he went on to host radio and TV show...
Khodi Dill
Khodi Dill NONE Khodi Dill, a Bahamian-Canadian writer, crafts various works from rap songs to children's books. He's an anti-racist educator and public speaker on social justice, identity, and educa...
Debra Phillips
Debra Phillips 0000000080337535 Debra Yvette Phillips is a diverse writer, creating works in categories like romance, mainstream, and chick-lit. She also writes under the pseudonym D.Y. Phillips, spe...
Dwayne Reed
Dwayne Reed NONE Dwayne Reed, a renowned rapping teacher from Chicago, is the author of the Simon B. Rhymin' series. Known for viral songs like “Welcome to the 4th Grade”, he also presents at educato...
Brittney Cooper
Brittney Cooper 0000000495530628 Brittney Cooper, born in 1980, is a renowned author and Rutgers University professor specializing in Women's and Gender Studies, and Africana Studies. Known for her m...
Darnell L. Moore
Darnell L. Moore 0000000430743868 Darnell L. Moore, born 1976, is an influential writer and editor with contributions at CASSIUS, LogoTV.com, and Mic, and a regular writer for Ebony, Advocate, Vice, ...
Marco Villalobos
Marco Villalobos 0000000500107331 M A R C O V I L L A L O B O S was born under quetzalcoatl the feathered serpent in 1973 and spent his Woodl’n, Califas, child...
Cherry
Cherry NONE Cherry, an author and finance professional based in Charlotte, North Carolina, uses her love for writing to craft stories that inspire resilience. A graduate of Winston-Salem State Univer...
Gabriel Tuggle
Gabriel Tuggle NONE Gabriel Tuggle, an Atlanta author and former athlete, overcame a life-altering gunshot accident through faith and determination. He now uses his second chance to spread God's mess...
Pat G’Orge Walker
Pat G’Orge Walker NONE Pat G’Orge-Walker, an Essence and National bestselling author and comedian, is known for her humorous observations of church life. A prolific author of 10 books, she's often be...
Tracy Brown
Tracy Brown 0000000037835870 Bestselling author Tracy Brown, known for her inspiring novels and contributions to anthologies, dedicated her life to empowering women and youth through her work and non...
Lisa Nichols
Lisa Nichols 0000000040781340 What are your goals? Perhaps you’d like to create healthier, more fulfilling relationships, stabilize your finances and live abundantly, build supreme self...
Kevin M. Weeks
Kevin M. Weeks NONE Kevin M. Weeks is an acclaimed self-published Urban Fiction author known for his debut, The Street Life Series. Honored as the Best New Urban Author of 2007, his fresh approach te...
Niobia Bryant
Niobia Bryant 0000000033312351 Niobia Bryant is an award-winning author of over 30 romance and commercial fiction works. A two-time winner of RT Book Reviews’ Best African-American/Multicultural Roma...
Brenda Lane Richardson
Brenda Lane Richardson NONE Brenda Lane Richardson is an award-winning author and trained minister known for her books like Story Power, Chesapeake Song and more. A former Oakland Tribune columnist, ...
Johanna Sparrow
Johanna Sparrow NONE “Sometimes your tragedy is your best feature.” Antoinette M. Watkins, pen name Johanna Sparrow, is an experienced author of over 31 books ranging from children's liter...
Yani
Yani 0000000118166410 Yani, an Amazon Best Selling Author from Philadelphia, is renowned for her six novels and unique storytelling style. She's celebrated in genres like African American Fiction-Ur...