Baltimore artist, entrepreneur, and community organizer Rashad D. Hawkins has released his first single after dropping his previous stage name “Hurricane The King (HTK)”. The new single called Body of A Goddess contains unique eclectic sounds which illustrate the combination of Hawkins’ personal influences and creativity.
The a self-taught musician who spent the last 6 years building an effective and innovative organization that utilizes arts, activism and entrepreneurship says that art is the best tool of addressing society issues.
“Art activism is all about utilizing tools to raise awareness, mobilize people and change public opinion. Hip-hop often reaches the communities that traditional sources of activism have the hardest time reaching. We're one of the organizations looking to harness that and use it in the most effective way possible to push for systemic change.”
As an individual who strongly believes strongly in the in the power of music and art to transform people and communities, Hawkins is a self-proclaimed "Artivist." Throughout his work and life, his ultimate goal is to "destroy the walls that keep us separated, and build bridges to unify." This new single aligns with his ultimate life goal as it weaves together elements of science, culture and spirituality (which is part culture).
Apart from music, Hawkins is a community organizer with a number of entrepreneurial ventures. He started his company BMore Awesome Inc" (BMAi) in 2015 that challenged him to strengthen his capacity for change as he saw his community's realities through a new lens. He faced all of the systemic issues and worked hard to address them. Under his leadership, BMAi has hosted several events and performances, secured and executed several contracts to serve different youth-focused organizations, built partnerships with several organizations, co-planned two national conferences, and co-organized the first ever Mayoral Forum on Arts and Culture in Baltimore. They have also co-created the first ever school police policy in Baltimore City, and recently, co-created and supported HB 78: Maryland Commission on Health Equity (The Shirley Nathan-Pulliam Health Equity Act of 2021).
In 2016, Hawkins was also contracted as an artist, activist, and teacher for the Youth Resiliency Institute’s Lom Nava Love project. Lom Nava Love is an arts and culture focused, community organizing documentary and movement. The Lom Nava Love documentary premiered October 15, 2016, accompanied by an original soundtrack written, composed and produced by Fanon Hill, and featuring vocalist Navasha Daya, as well as Hawkins, and many others.
About
Rashad D. Hawkins started his organizing career working with Community Law in Action (CLIA), to develop and organize youth around a new initiative called The Just Kids Partnership, where Hawkins co-created and implemented Just Kids' grassroots campaign strategy to successfully change legislation and remove youth from adult jails. He developed the campaign's Core Alliance of Youth Leaders, which, under his leadership, was recognized with a multitude of awards including the John P. Sarbanes Courage Award (2011 and 2012), and the Open Society Institute Audacious Individuals Award (2013). Notably, he co-chaired an alliance of over 30 organizations that stopped the construction of a proposed jail that would have been built to house youth in Baltimore City. Simultaneously, he worked relentlessly on his music career while remaining completely independent - writing his own lyrics, producing his own instrumentals, marketing himself, and booking shows. In 2013, over 26,000 people downloaded his first official mix-tape "Charm," and Hawkins was recognized as a "charismatic and confident emcee blessed with the God- given skills to be unbelievably deep on the microphone, yet able to spit his lyrics out with machine-gun-like fury" (jamsphere.com). His inventiveness and genre-breaking style earned him a reputation as one of Baltimore's versatile producers and has resulted in his immense success at staying ahead of the curve. In 2014, he executive produced "kNew Baltimore," uniting young MCs born and raised in Baltimore City to tell the raw, unheard stories of their city.
Media Contact
Name: Rashad D. Hawkins
Company: BMore Awesome Inc Twitter: @BMoreAwesomeInc
Email: Rashad.d.hawkins@gmail.com
Phone: 443 894 5473
Website: www.RashadDHawkins.com
