10th Element of Hip Hop
Hip hop is — health and wellness.
The 10th Element of hip hop
History has recognized nine core elements of hip hop: break dancing, emceeing, graffiti art, deejaying, beatboxing, street fashion, language, knowledge, and entrepreneurship. Each element of hip hop disrupted the status quo. No matter how marginalized or isolated you were, hip hop demanded that you be seen. The elements’ echoed a revolutionary drumbeat beyond the streets where they were born and around the world — all the way to the hearts of anyone whose inner power needed to come alive. They reminded everyone that boldness, courage, and originality were your superpowers. Not many people fully realize, however, that these qualities derive from health, vulnerability, empathy, and self-love.
That’s why in 2016, together with hip hop legends at Harlem’s historic Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Hip Hop is Green audaciously ushered in the 10th element of hip hop: health and wellness. This element combats commercialization that has degraded hip hop culture into the glamorization of violence, drugs, greed, and misogyny. We promote plant-based eating, food justice, fitness, sobriety, mental health, and more. Elevating positive narratives in hip hop will create immense cultural and systemic change worldwide. For that reason, the 10th element of hip hop is our North Star across all programs — and will evolve to include creative media, such as books, music, film, and events.
YOU CAN HELP
We invite you to learn more about Hip Hop is Green’s mission to promote health and wellness in hip hop culture through the 10th Element of Hip Hop proclamation. You can also learn more by attending events like the 10th Element Symposiums and Hip Hop is Green Dinners — and by exploring resources on our website. Your interest and engagement in the 10th Element of Hip Hop helps support Hip Hop is Green’s efforts to create positive change in communities through education and activism. Join this movement with us.
Learn more about Hip Hop is Green’s mission to promote health and wellness in hip hop culture through the 10th Element of Hip Hop. Your interest and engagement in the 10th Element of Hip Hop helps support Hip Hop is Green’s efforts to create positive change in communities through education and activism. Join this movement with us.
Health and wellness
Keith Tucker is the creator and author of the 10th Element of Hip Hop and the Proclamation. He created it in 2015 based on his earlier time working with KRS One. He wrote a open letter to Hip Hop stating the case to add “Health & Wellness” to Hip Hop culture and many top artists that embody health and wellness supported this effort. Specifically, Stic of Dead Prez and Easy AD of the Cold Crush Brothers. With the support of many Keith Tucker and Hip Hop is Green produced the 10th Element of Hip Hop signature Ceremony in New York City on April 21st 2016 at the Schomburg Library. This was the birth of the 10th Element of Hip Hop.
10th Element of hip hop
Health & Wellness is the study of the inner voice and the connection to the soul. It is in this silence and introspection that we find our true selves and through this self-discovery it has led many in Hip Hop to share this knowledge with one another. This path leads us to make the connection to all living things, the animals, the forest, the seas and our environment and challenges us to make a change as a society.
Health & Wellness – (The practice of wellbeing, self-discovery while living in balance with ourselves and the planet). People in Hip Hop that are on a personal mission to achieve and promote holistic health through a new lifestyle that has taken on many forms, such as plant based eating, organic gardening, fitness, meditation, sobriety and mental health, food justice and animal rights activism.
