MISSION DRIVEN
Our Why
Black Americans carry a disproportionate cancer burden, including the highest mortality rates from most cancers, and slowest time to diagnosis of any other race.
Not only are Black Americans 41% more likely to die from cancer, they top the charts in heart disease, diabetes, and obesity too.
Low health literacy is a big part of the problem.
We're bringing health literacy to the streets
Black Americans need to be empowered with effective health literacy so they can seek the healthcare access and timely intervention they need and deserve.
We aim to educate people in their local communities, with voices they know and trust.
We're eliminating road blocks and barriers to success
Healthcare disparities like lack of insurance, limited access, historical injustices, and implicit racial bias keep many People of Color from seeking essential or even basic medical care.
We're fostering prevention and self-advocacy
We must engage Communities of Color at the grass roots level, and establish collaborative partnerships that will drive health literacy and create lasting change.
THE SOLUTION
Hit the Streets
We’re gearing up to launch a series of block parties in some of America’s largest urban communities and harness the power of hip-hop music and its culture to empower people to seek and receive the healthcare they need and deserve.
Together with community partners, the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation is creating a model to educate and inspire Black Americans in their neighborhoods with a goal of creating measurable and lasting change.
OUR PROGRAMS
Powered by Hip-Hop
LOCAL BLOCK PARTIES
Urban street parties in underserved communities that combine hip-hop culture with trusted experts to empower health literacy
PODCAST SERIES
A series for survivors featuring Grand G and special guests, who've all been touched by serious illness and perservered
PRODUCTION COMPANY
A vehicle to produce and distribute hip-hop collaborations featuring legends and up-and-coming local artists
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Join the Party
VIDEOS
Spittin' Rhymes
Playlist
7:05
3:12
2:57
3:38
5:56
8:38
We are grateful to our homies for supporting our mission and vision
🎤 MIC CHECK MYELOMA IS OFFICIALLY ON TOUR! 🎤
The Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation is proud to present….
We Care for the Culture Tour is HERE and we’re bringing health education, Hip-Hop culture, and real community conversation to cities across the nation! ❤️🔥
Each stop brings together medical experts, patient advocates, survivors, and YOU for a 4-hour experience built around community, culture, and connection.
🍽️ Good food? YES.
🎧 Classic Hip-Hop & R&B? ALL DAY.
🎤 Real talk that could change your life? ABSOLUTELY.
This is how we do health equity — with culture, community, and a whole lot of love. 🙌🏾
📍 OUR TOUR STOPS:
✅ PHILADELPHIA — Sept 12, 2026 | 3PM–7PM
✅ ATLANTA — Sept 19, 2026 | 12PM–4PM
✅ CHICAGO — Oct 24, 2026 | 12PM–4PM
🔜 HOUSTON — Date TBA
🔜 LOS ANGELES — Date TBA
🎟️ Admission is FREE — but space is limited!
👉 Link in bio to register and more details!
https://healthhopehiphop.org/mic-check-myeloma/
This program is proudly supported by Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, the International Myeloma Foundation, and Blood Cancer United.
#MicCheckMyeloma #MultipleMyeloma #WeCareForTheCulture #CommunityHealth #Edutainment
🎤 MIC CHECK MYELOMA IS OFFICIALLY ON TOUR! 🎤
The Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation is proud to present….
We Care for the Culture Tour is HERE and we’re bringing health education, Hip-Hop culture, and real community conversation to cities across the nation! ❤️🔥
Each stop brings together medical experts, patient advocates, survivors, and YOU for a 4-hour experience built around community, culture, and connection.
🍽️ Good food? YES.
🎧 Classic Hip-Hop & R&B? ALL DAY.
🎤 Real talk that could change your life? ABSOLUTELY.
This is how we do health equity — with culture, community, and a whole lot of love. 🙌🏾
📍 OUR TOUR STOPS:
✅ PHILADELPHIA — Sept 12, 2026 | 3PM–7PM
✅ ATLANTA — Sept 19, 2026 | 12PM–4PM
✅ CHICAGO — Oct 24, 2026 | 12PM–4PM
🔜 HOUSTON — Date TBA
🔜 LOS ANGELES — Date TBA
🎟️ Admission is FREE — but space is limited!
👉 Link in bio to register and more details!
https://healthhopehiphop.org/mic-check-myeloma/
This program is proudly supported by Johnson & Johnson, Bristol Myers Squibb, the International Myeloma Foundation, and Blood Cancer United.
#MicCheckMyeloma #MultipleMyeloma #WeCareForTheCulture #CommunityHealth #Edutainment
🎙️ “It shook us to our core.”
Imagine someone you love getting sick, ending up in the emergency room, and then hearing two words you’ve never heard before:
Multiple myeloma.
That’s where Michelle Ware Ivy’s care partner journey began with her beloved husband, Malcolm.
In this first clip from our new episode, “The Care Partner Cipher: We Take the Mic,” Michelle takes us back to the moment multiple myeloma entered their family story—and the questions that immediately followed.
What is multiple myeloma? How did this happen? What do we do now?
A cancer diagnosis may belong to the patient medically, but its impact reaches the entire family.
That’s why this episode is about giving our care partners the mic. 🎤
▶️ Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel (healthhopehiphop) — link in bio.
🎧 Prefer to listen? Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean.
Every patient has a story. Every care partner has one too.
#MultipleMyeloma #CarePartners #CancerCaregiving #HealthEquity #HipHopeHooray
🎙️ “It shook us to our core.”
Imagine someone you love getting sick, ending up in the emergency room, and then hearing two words you’ve never heard before:
Multiple myeloma.
That’s where Michelle Ware Ivy’s care partner journey began with her beloved husband, Malcolm.
In this first clip from our new episode, “The Care Partner Cipher: We Take the Mic,” Michelle takes us back to the moment multiple myeloma entered their family story—and the questions that immediately followed.
What is multiple myeloma? How did this happen? What do we do now?
A cancer diagnosis may belong to the patient medically, but its impact reaches the entire family.
That’s why this episode is about giving our care partners the mic. 🎤
▶️ Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel (healthhopehiphop) — link in bio.
🎧 Prefer to listen? Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean.
Every patient has a story. Every care partner has one too.
#MultipleMyeloma #CarePartners #CancerCaregiving #HealthEquity #HipHopeHooray
53 years ago today, a back-to-school party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx turned two turntables into a whole culture. Hip Hop gave us a language for our joy, our grief, and our survival — and at Health, Hope & Hip-Hop, it’s the same language we use to talk about our health. Happy birthday, Hip Hop. 🎂🎧
Love you Hip Hop and may you have many more💪🏾
#HipHop53 #HipHopBirthday #HealthHopeHipHop
53 years ago today, a back-to-school party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx turned two turntables into a whole culture. Hip Hop gave us a language for our joy, our grief, and our survival — and at Health, Hope & Hip-Hop, it’s the same language we use to talk about our health. Happy birthday, Hip Hop. 🎂🎧
Love you Hip Hop and may you have many more💪🏾
#HipHop53 #HipHopBirthday #HealthHopeHipHop
🎤 THE MIC IS ABOUT TO CHANGE HANDS.
Every patient has a story.
But behind so many patients is a care partner with a story of their own.
They show up.
They advocate.
They ask questions.
They sacrifice.
They love.
And sometimes they carry things nobody else sees.
On August 12 at 10 AM EST, we’re putting the spotlight where it belongs.
🎙️ The Care Partner Cipher: We Take the Mic
Featuring Michelle Ware Ivy, Diane Kennedy, and Chad Moore.
Three care partners.
Three journeys.
Three voices that deserve to be heard.
This time, they take the mic. 🎤
📅 AUGUST 12
⏰ 10 AM EST
#CarePartners #MultipleMyeloma #CancerCaregiving #HealthEquity #HipHopeHooray
🎤 THE MIC IS ABOUT TO CHANGE HANDS.
Every patient has a story.
But behind so many patients is a care partner with a story of their own.
They show up.
They advocate.
They ask questions.
They sacrifice.
They love.
And sometimes they carry things nobody else sees.
On August 12 at 10 AM EST, we’re putting the spotlight where it belongs.
🎙️ The Care Partner Cipher: We Take the Mic
Featuring Michelle Ware Ivy, Diane Kennedy, and Chad Moore.
Three care partners.
Three journeys.
Three voices that deserve to be heard.
This time, they take the mic. 🎤
📅 AUGUST 12
⏰ 10 AM EST
#CarePartners #MultipleMyeloma #CancerCaregiving #HealthEquity #HipHopeHooray
Some people say they’re experts…
Then there are people who have the receipts to prove it. 📚😂
Introducing Dr. Craig Cole felt less like reading a bio and more like reading a list of accomplishments that just…kept…going.
At one point I started wondering if I was reading his résumé or his autobiography. 😅
Watch until the end…because let’s just say I had to keep it real after I finished reading it.
🎥 Watch the full episode on the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop YouTube channel (@healthhopehiphop).
🎧 Prefer to listen? Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.
#HipHopeHooray #MultipleMyeloma #ClinicalTrials #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
Some people say they’re experts…
Then there are people who have the receipts to prove it. 📚😂
Introducing Dr. Craig Cole felt less like reading a bio and more like reading a list of accomplishments that just…kept…going.
At one point I started wondering if I was reading his résumé or his autobiography. 😅
Watch until the end…because let’s just say I had to keep it real after I finished reading it.
🎥 Watch the full episode on the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop YouTube channel (@healthhopehiphop).
🎧 Prefer to listen? Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.
#HipHopeHooray #MultipleMyeloma #ClinicalTrials #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
“Am I going to be a guinea pig?”
I’ve heard that question more times than I can count.
So I asked Dr. Craig Cole exactly what many patients—and families—are thinking.
His answer may surprise you.
This conversation doesn’t ignore the painful history that has caused medical mistrust. Instead, it acknowledges it while explaining how today’s clinical trials are built around patient safety, oversight, and accountability.
If this is a question you’ve ever asked—or someone you love has asked—I hope you’ll watch this clip with an open mind.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is replace fear with facts.
🎥 Watch the full episode on the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop YouTube channel (@healthhopehiphop).
🎧 Prefer to listen? Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.
#HipHopeHooray #ClinicalTrials #MultipleMyeloma #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
“Am I going to be a guinea pig?”
I’ve heard that question more times than I can count.
So I asked Dr. Craig Cole exactly what many patients—and families—are thinking.
His answer may surprise you.
This conversation doesn’t ignore the painful history that has caused medical mistrust. Instead, it acknowledges it while explaining how today’s clinical trials are built around patient safety, oversight, and accountability.
If this is a question you’ve ever asked—or someone you love has asked—I hope you’ll watch this clip with an open mind.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is replace fear with facts.
🎥 Watch the full episode on the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop YouTube channel (@healthhopehiphop).
🎧 Prefer to listen? Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, and all major podcast platforms.
#HipHopeHooray #ClinicalTrials #MultipleMyeloma #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
🎙️ NEW EPISODE IS LIVE!
When people hear the words “clinical trial,” too often fear enters the conversation before facts do.
That’s exactly why I wanted to have this conversation with Dr. Craig Cole, one of the nation’s leading multiple myeloma specialists.
What started as a fun game of “Finish the Lyric” turned into one of the most powerful moments of the episode.
One statement especially stuck with me:
“There is no cure until everybody is cured.”
We talk about:
🎤 The biggest myths surrounding clinical trials.
🩺 Why patient safety is always the top priority.
🤝 Why trust and representation matter.
✊🏾 Why Black and Brown participation is essential to advancing multiple myeloma research.
Whether you’re living with multiple myeloma, supporting someone who is, or simply want to better understand why clinical trials matter, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch this conversation.
🎥 Watch the full episode at the link in my bio or on YouTube at healthhopehiphop
A special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Johnson & Johnson/Legend Biotech, and to Pfizer for their continued support of the Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health Podcast.
#HipHopeHooray #MultipleMyeloma #ClinicalTrials #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
🎙️ NEW EPISODE IS LIVE!
When people hear the words “clinical trial,” too often fear enters the conversation before facts do.
That’s exactly why I wanted to have this conversation with Dr. Craig Cole, one of the nation’s leading multiple myeloma specialists.
What started as a fun game of “Finish the Lyric” turned into one of the most powerful moments of the episode.
One statement especially stuck with me:
“There is no cure until everybody is cured.”
We talk about:
🎤 The biggest myths surrounding clinical trials.
🩺 Why patient safety is always the top priority.
🤝 Why trust and representation matter.
✊🏾 Why Black and Brown participation is essential to advancing multiple myeloma research.
Whether you’re living with multiple myeloma, supporting someone who is, or simply want to better understand why clinical trials matter, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch this conversation.
🎥 Watch the full episode at the link in my bio or on YouTube at healthhopehiphop
A special thank you to our presenting sponsor, Johnson & Johnson/Legend Biotech, and to Pfizer for their continued support of the Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health Podcast.
#HipHopeHooray #MultipleMyeloma #ClinicalTrials #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
🚨 NEW EPISODE DROPS TUESDAY! 🚨
Too many people hear the words “clinical trial” and immediately think, “That’s not for me.”
But what if everything we’ve been told isn’t the whole story?
On the next episode of Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health Podcast, I sit down with one of the nation’s leading multiple myeloma specialists, Dr. Craig Cole, for a real conversation about clinical trials, trust, and why representation in research matters—especially in the Black and Brown community.
We talk about:
🎤 The biggest myths surrounding clinical trials
🎤 Why diversity in research can save lives
🎤 Building trust after generations of medical mistrust
🎤 What every patient and caregiver should know before saying “no” to a clinical trial
This isn’t just a conversation about medicine. It’s a conversation that could change how you or someone you love thinks about treatment options.
🗓 Premieres: Tuesday, July 28
🕙 10:00 AM EST
Set your reminder, tune in, and help us spread the word. Someone in your network may hear exactly what they need.
#HipHopeHooray #ClinicalTrials #MultipleMyeloma #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
🚨 NEW EPISODE DROPS TUESDAY! 🚨
Too many people hear the words “clinical trial” and immediately think, “That’s not for me.”
But what if everything we’ve been told isn’t the whole story?
On the next episode of Hip Hope Hooray! Men Talkin’ Health Podcast, I sit down with one of the nation’s leading multiple myeloma specialists, Dr. Craig Cole, for a real conversation about clinical trials, trust, and why representation in research matters—especially in the Black and Brown community.
We talk about:
🎤 The biggest myths surrounding clinical trials
🎤 Why diversity in research can save lives
🎤 Building trust after generations of medical mistrust
🎤 What every patient and caregiver should know before saying “no” to a clinical trial
This isn’t just a conversation about medicine. It’s a conversation that could change how you or someone you love thinks about treatment options.
🗓 Premieres: Tuesday, July 28
🕙 10:00 AM EST
Set your reminder, tune in, and help us spread the word. Someone in your network may hear exactly what they need.
#HipHopeHooray #ClinicalTrials #MultipleMyeloma #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy
What happens when hip-hop meets healthcare… and community meets collaboration?
Last weekend, I had the honor of presenting at the International Myeloma Foundation’s SGLS during the Leaders Sharing CoMMunity Collaborations panel alongside Todd Kennedy and Diane Kennedy, representing the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation.
This clip is just a small preview of a presentation that sparked conversations I’ll never forget.
What resonated most with those in attendance wasn’t just our story—it was the possibility of what’s next. Many shared they had no idea how much our foundation had accomplished, and leaders from across the country expressed a desire to help bring the Mic Check Myeloma Tour to their communities and support our work in the cities we’ll be visiting.
If this preview speaks to you, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch the full presentation. I believe it shows what’s possible when culture, collaboration, and purpose come together to advance health equity.
I’d love to hear what resonates with you after you watch it on YouTube.
#HealthHopeHipHop #MicCheckMyeloma #MultipleMyeloma #HealthEquity #CommunityCollaboration
What happens when hip-hop meets healthcare… and community meets collaboration?
Last weekend, I had the honor of presenting at the International Myeloma Foundation’s SGLS during the Leaders Sharing CoMMunity Collaborations panel alongside Todd Kennedy and Diane Kennedy, representing the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation.
This clip is just a small preview of a presentation that sparked conversations I’ll never forget.
What resonated most with those in attendance wasn’t just our story—it was the possibility of what’s next. Many shared they had no idea how much our foundation had accomplished, and leaders from across the country expressed a desire to help bring the Mic Check Myeloma Tour to their communities and support our work in the cities we’ll be visiting.
If this preview speaks to you, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch the full presentation. I believe it shows what’s possible when culture, collaboration, and purpose come together to advance health equity.
I’d love to hear what resonates with you after you watch it on YouTube.
#HealthHopeHipHop #MicCheckMyeloma #MultipleMyeloma #HealthEquity #CommunityCollaboration
Hip-Hop has always been about giving a voice to the unheard. Today, we’re using that same voice to help save lives. ❤️🎤
Sickle Cell Disease has impacted our families, our communities, and our culture for generations. Yet awareness still isn’t where it needs to be.
At the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation, we believe education changes conversations, conversations change behaviors, and behaviors save lives.
This campaign is about honoring the warriors living with sickle cell, recognizing icons like T-Boz and the legacy of Prodigy, and reminding every family that awareness is more than a month—it’s a movement.
Because when culture meets purpose, people listen.
One Day. One Movement. Global Impact.
❤️ Know it.
🎤 Talk about it.
✊🏾 Support those living with it.
🌍 Together, we save lives.
#HealthHopeHipHop #SickleCellAwareness #HealthEquity #TogetherWeSaveLives
Hip-Hop has always been about giving a voice to the unheard. Today, we’re using that same voice to help save lives. ❤️🎤
Sickle Cell Disease has impacted our families, our communities, and our culture for generations. Yet awareness still isn’t where it needs to be.
At the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation, we believe education changes conversations, conversations change behaviors, and behaviors save lives.
This campaign is about honoring the warriors living with sickle cell, recognizing icons like T-Boz and the legacy of Prodigy, and reminding every family that awareness is more than a month—it’s a movement.
Because when culture meets purpose, people listen.
One Day. One Movement. Global Impact.
❤️ Know it.
🎤 Talk about it.
✊🏾 Support those living with it.
🌍 Together, we save lives.
#HealthHopeHipHop #SickleCellAwareness #HealthEquity #TogetherWeSaveLives
Some moments are too important to rush.
What happens when culture, brotherhood, and purpose collide?
You’ll find out soon.
For now… here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at what went down in Orlando. Cameras were rolling. Conversations got real. The energy was different.
Sometimes the biggest stories aren’t the ones happening under the lights… they’re the ones happening when the cameras catch people simply being themselves.
Trust us… this one’s different.
👀 Stay tuned.
#HealthHopeHipHop #SomethingBigIsComing #BehindTheScenes #HipHopCulture #URL
Some moments are too important to rush.
What happens when culture, brotherhood, and purpose collide?
You’ll find out soon.
For now… here’s a little behind-the-scenes look at what went down in Orlando. Cameras were rolling. Conversations got real. The energy was different.
Sometimes the biggest stories aren’t the ones happening under the lights… they’re the ones happening when the cameras catch people simply being themselves.
Trust us… this one’s different.
👀 Stay tuned.
#HealthHopeHipHop #SomethingBigIsComing #BehindTheScenes #HipHopCulture #URL
🎤🇺🇸 As we celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary this Independence Day weekend, I’m reflecting on a powerful moment from June 17.
The Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation was honored to celebrate International Hip Hop Health Day at The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, where I joined an incredible panel, “Rhymes & Resilience: The Fight for Health Equity” moderated by Kevin Powell.
During the discussion, I shared something that’s deeply personal:
Hip-hop saved my life before healthcare ever did.
Long before my multiple myeloma diagnosis, hip-hop gave me purpose, resilience, and a voice. After my diagnosis, I realized I didn’t have to choose between my passion for hip-hop and my passion for health advocacy—I could use both to help save lives.
That’s why we created the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation. 🎤🩺
We believe culture can do more than entertain—it can educate, empower, and advance health equity.
Thank you to The Hip Hop Museum, my fellow panelists Maria Davis and Stick-E, also Chuck D for an unforgettable fireside chat. What a day full of conversation, community, and purpose.
Health. Hope. Hip-Hop. Because the culture that changed the world can also help save it. ✊🏾❤️🩹
#InternationalHipHopHealthDay #HealthHopeHipHop #HealthEquity #HipHopMuseum #US250
🎤🇺🇸 As we celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary this Independence Day weekend, I’m reflecting on a powerful moment from June 17.
The Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation was honored to celebrate International Hip Hop Health Day at The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, where I joined an incredible panel, “Rhymes & Resilience: The Fight for Health Equity” moderated by Kevin Powell.
During the discussion, I shared something that’s deeply personal:
Hip-hop saved my life before healthcare ever did.
Long before my multiple myeloma diagnosis, hip-hop gave me purpose, resilience, and a voice. After my diagnosis, I realized I didn’t have to choose between my passion for hip-hop and my passion for health advocacy—I could use both to help save lives.
That’s why we created the Health, Hope & Hip-Hop Foundation. 🎤🩺
We believe culture can do more than entertain—it can educate, empower, and advance health equity.
Thank you to The Hip Hop Museum, my fellow panelists Maria Davis and Stick-E, also Chuck D for an unforgettable fireside chat. What a day full of conversation, community, and purpose.
Health. Hope. Hip-Hop. Because the culture that changed the world can also help save it. ✊🏾❤️🩹
#InternationalHipHopHealthDay #HealthHopeHipHop #HealthEquity #HipHopMuseum #US250