Hip Hop Public Health

Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) is an internationally recognized 501c3 that harnesses the transformative power of music, culture, and science to improve health literacy and promote health equity in communities of color. We have a 15-year track record of creating culturally relevant science-based content using our evidence-based framework for health promotion and behavior change, the Multisensory Multilevel Health Education Model (MMHEM), and our framework for Child-Mediated Health Communication that focuses on children as messengers for disease prevention and health promotion interventions with parents and caregivers. All of our 200+ educational resources are available to stream and download for free, removing access barriers for teaching, learning and health literacy.

Founded by Dr. Olajide Williams of Columbia University, a world-renowned leader in community based behavioral intervention research, the HHPH transdisciplinary team is a unique collective blending socially conscious creatives along with health and education professionals, nutritionists, public health researchers, physicians, behavioral scientists, and a rotating youth advisory board. HHPH’s founding artist, the legendary Doug E. Fresh, has cultivated an iconic artist advisory board including Darryl DMC McDaniels from Run DMC, Chuck D, Jordin Sparks and Ashanti in addition to multi-platinum music composers and producers.

HHPH’s approach maximizes engagement by facilitating cultural and emotional connections with the content using a variety of platforms and technologies, while earning trust through the use and social capital of credible messengers. Hip hop music is a particularly effective learning tool due to its ability to incorporate multiple literary devices, such as rhymes and spaced repetition which are known to enhance learning and memory. It is also a cultural tool that enables tailoring to certain communities while incorporating credible messengers (hip hop icons, celebrities, etc.) in its delivery. As the most popular genre in the US, hip hop has mass appeal.