33: Khafre Jay | Hip Hop: Peace, Love, and Having Fun

Hip Hop and Social Change go hand in hand to create and celebrate vibrant communities. In Episode 33, Lindsay connects with Khafre Jay to explore how music, culture, and activism spark peace, love, and empowerment. Khafre shares how hip hop can fuel real impact, inspire action, and mobilize a new generation of changemakers.

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Empowering the youth and breaking barriers with music

“Hip Hop is positive. It’s the catalyst for self-determination, for fighting oppression, for self-efficacy and self-love” Share on X

In an effort to create and CELEBRATE community — we can’t forget about the power of music! Whether it is hip hop, gospel, country or top 40… music is the soundtrack of our lives. From neurological activation to the way we tap our feet (or get up and boogie) the art form of music is both expressive and connective. It’s also a reflection of our culture and society. It bonds us through shared joy and pain. That’s why I sit down today with Khafre Jay to discuss Hip Hop culture and its impact on communities.

Hip Hop for Change is a grassroots nonprofit organization fighting to protect the culture of Black America, empowering young kids by developing their sense of self-affirmation and breaking the cultural barriers with activism deeply rooted in communities dealing with real issues. Khafre Jay, a community organizer, nonprofit consultant, keynote speaker, and executive director of Hip Hop for Change, joins us today to share the achievements and the vision of this 501c3 education organization that uses Hip Hop culture to educate and advocate for social justice.

Khafre’s path to self-worth

Back in 2014, Khafre created THE MC program, a modular curriculum using Hip Hop history and culture to focus on healthy expression and positive identity. He has worked with over 22 thousand youth, K-12, to create healthier places for children to foster their creativity and positive identity.

Khafre travels the country now speaking academically at conferences, universities, consulting, and leading diversity workshops, and has also graced the TEDx stage. As a performing artist, he has shared the stage with world-class acts such as Rakim, Method Man, Dead Prez, Hieroglyphics, The Pharcyde, Talib Kweli, and many more. To top it off, since 2014 Khafre has hosted Hip Hop For Change Radio, a weekly radio program on San Francisco’s KPOO 89.5 FM that supports his local Hip Hop community.

Transforming Art Is a Revolutionary Act

How can we turn our internal monologue into an art form for self-expression?

In Oakland, 30% of kids have been diagnosed with PTSD—a higher rate than veterans returning from Iraq. Yet many of these young people don’t even have access to art classes in school.

Today’s youth need powerful, joyful tools to keep moving forward—to stay engaged, courageous, and united across colors, ideas, and backgrounds. Art is one of those tools.

Hip Hop for Change: Empowering Youth Through Culture

The MC Program at Hip Hop for Change was created to teach kids the history of Hip Hop culture—and how to breakdance, rap, graffiti, and DJ.

Built on the foundation of self-determination, the program helps young people believe in their worth and their power. Led by Khafre Jay, the organization has:

Raised almost $4 million in seven years
Taught more than 8,000 students
Employed nearly 1,000 community members as hip-hop activists

Through Hip Hop for Change, kids don’t just learn skills—they step into a movement that values their voices and their future.

Hip Hop: More Than a Music Genre

Sadly, Hip Hop often gets a bad rap. The narratives we absorb as a society have a deep impact on how we see ourselves and each other.

Did you know?

Hip Hop is a $7 billion industry today.
90% of Hip Hop music is owned by just three corporations, which consolidated the music industry in the 1990s.
70% of Hip Hop is consumed by suburban white men ages 18–24.

Many mainstream narratives—focused on sex, drugs, and violence—are fabricated realities, engineered to sell. They don’t represent the true roots or depth of Hip Hop culture.

The True Power of Hip Hop

Hip Hop isn’t just music. It’s a culture, a political movement, and a way of life.

At its core, Hip Hop is about:

Authentic self-expression
Free-flowing communication within the community
Resistance, resilience, and unity

It’s a revolutionary act of telling our own stories, in our own voices.

Join Us: Creating Community for Good

In this episode of Creating Community for Good, I sit down with Khafre Jay to dive deep into the real meaning of Hip Hop culture.

We explore:

The history and future of Hip Hop
How to freestyle from your authentic self
How art and expression can transform communities

Tune in and discover how your voice can be a powerful force for unity, healing, and change.

Key Takeaways:

07:19 – How Hip Hop for Change is creating a stable base for the self-determination and empowerment of the youth and the community.

20:21- Rapping 101: how you can start freestyling in 2 minutes and overcome prejudice toward yourself.

23:39 – Empowering society & culture through creative outlets for self-expression and supporting each others’ efforts.

30:12 – Grassroots fundraising learned from Greenpeace and how it has allowed Hip Hop for Change to be independent and sovereign, avoiding having to bend over or bow and change the mission for foundational support.

36:21 – Khafrey’s take on the Black Lives Matter movement: how it’s transformed and what is expected of them now that they are a multi-million organization.

42:30 – Hear this authentic case for support pitch for WHY support Hip Hop for Change and why it’s a worthy investment during COVID-19, Giving Tuesday and End of Year Giving.

55:52 – Why doesn’t this social justice organization take corporate funds? Understand what it means to be politically sovereign and authentic.