A Portland native who grew up in both southeast and northeast where I witnessed gentrification transpire firsthand and was directly impacted by it. As a biracial Black man I struggled with identity until I discovered my love of hip hop and talent as an emcee and songwriter. I continue to use hip hop as a platform to voice my experiences and world views, and have gained quite a following in the Pacific Northwest over the last 16 years. I perform consistently around the Northwest and West coast with my band Speaker Minds and as a solo artist with various DJs. I learned early that it is not enough to talk about injustices and that one must be active in his community to try and combat these issues. I have organized several programs over the course of 16 years ranging from workshops that teach youth about hip hop culture while giving them access to studios and venues, to coordinating a measure 11 education curriculum and reform/repeal effort. My philanthropic efforts through hip hop also landed me a 10 year career as a counselor, mentor, advocate, and community engagement specialist for youth from marginalized communities. Taking Ownership PDX is my latest project to aid the Black community in a city that has historically and continually displaced and ignored our needs. I recently finished my Bachelor’s degree in Social Science with a double minor in Black Studies and Sociology, the knowledge I’ve gained in those studies have helped me create this reparation and community based platform that serves the Black community I love in Portland.