Chad Harper

Founder & CEO

 

It was in the early 80's that I got hooked on Hip Hop. This artistic medium gave me the confidence I needed to express myself. I had a lot to say but the people I wanted to speak to didn't want to hear about it through hip-hop. My parents pushed me towards a career that promised security because being an entertainer certainly didn't provide that.  What they didn't know was that Hip Hop was educating me. I learned about African American heroes and inventors. I learned details about slavery, the civil movement and my ancestors from Africa. Hip Hop made learning exciting and it pushed me to study and learn more so I could express myself like the artists KRS-1, Queen Latifah and Chuck D. Hip Hop influenced me to attend Morehouse College because of its legacy of producing brilliant black men. I wanted to be like the heroes I learned about through Hip Hop. What I had learned made me feel intelligent, confident and ignited me to push myself even higher.

From an early age, I endured countless painful confrontations between my parents. Years of anger accumulated inside of me with no healthy outlet. Hip Hop changed that. I began pouring my hate, anger, and personal lack of love onto the written word. Hip Hop became my best friend. It was everywhere. It understood me. There were no judgments. Hip Hop kept my secrets and carried the burden of all that I had been through. But I was still unable to share it with those closest to me, the ones causing my pain.

Years later,  I found myself struggling to produce music that was meaningful. At the time I was working as a bartender. One evening an organization called Charity Water came in to host a cocktail parties to raise money for clean water systems in Africa. I was immediately moved by their approach and began volunteering for them. I decided to write and produce a song to celebrate their work. I knew that I could be myself and using the platform that Charity Water provided only fueled my excitement. The reception was overwhelming.

I traveled with Charity Water to Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. I helped with fundraising during their five day exhibit by selling a few hundred copies of the song I had written about the organization. Those five days reminded me of why I wrote rhymes. People began requesting pictures with me and asking me to autograph the cds. It was one of the proudest moments of my life. I remember pausing for a moment and thinking to myself “Hip Hop is saving lives.” At that very moment I knew what the rest of my life had to be about. I did not want young emerging emcees to have to create new identities to sell their art to record labels whose real interest was not them. I did not want them to have to endure the pain of discovering the truth after many years invested. I wanted to intercede on their behalf, while they were still young and their efforts are still heartfelt and genuine. I want to preserve the essence of what Hip Hop has been to me, a pillar of confidence. I want them to feel proud  and to fuel their desire to learn. I want them to experience education through music. It's  vital that the youth love to learn. It's vital that their interests and hobbies are fused with education. It's paramount that they are inspired to study and lean on their own time which will only push them to higher education. I want to help them express themselves to the world but more importantly to their parents. When a parent stops and pays attention to the artist within their child, something magical happens.

In our program we educate about the world in which we live.  We educate teenagers about issues they may have never discussed and have no true interest in until they investigate it through rhyme. We see many of them touched by these subjects and witness their new appreciation for learning expand their minds and become a part of who they are. They can't wait to get to the next subject and begin to write. They are excited to learn. We also  honor everyday heroes. Having a community of people that thank others for introducing them to your work is essential. This also allows our youth to feel what's it’s like to make a difference, to share their art with their parents and to show them how powerful their voice can be. It warms my heart to know we are helping kids and parents have conversations about their talent and their passions, as well as many of the important issues we face in today's society.

 

Hip Hop does save lives!