Meet Genesis Be | Rap Activist & Founder

Image Credits
Dreamland Productions

We had the good fortune of connecting with Genesis Be and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Genesis, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’ve worked up to a point where, my work is my life and my life is my work. Purpose, I think they call it. I don’t put as much emphasis on profit, like I should. I’m more focused on impact. By realigning to my life’s purpose, and spending my energy on the impact of my work, the money just comes. It wasn’t always like that though. I’ve worked really hard to get to this point. I’ve worked for other people most of my life. I made a conscious effort in my late twenties that I needed to change that. I prayed on it, quit my salary position and took a leaf of faith. The very next month, everything changed for me after I did a protest that went viral. That was in 2016 and my brand and impact has just consistently grown since then. I think intuition and understanding your value is key to aligning with your purpose. When I worked for other people, although I was treated well, I knew that they didn’t understand my value and my potential. Not fully. So I had to rearrange my life and rise to my full potential. I’m still rising everyday.

Image Credits
Dreamland Productions

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been rapping since I was 12 years old. Not in my bedroom or bathroom mirror, like I was performing and recording mixtapes at a very young age, sneaking into clubs and battling grown men. I was building a name for myself in my community in Biloxi Mississippi. Hip Hop helped me find my confidence and my voice. I was a VERY introverted, shy and quiet child but I always wrote poetry about social issues that disturbed me among other things. I never, in a million years, would have guessed where that path would take me. I always say Hip Hop saved my life, it gave me my voice and an outlet for my conflicting emotions. I’ll always be a child and student of Hip Hop. I also like to paint. I’m very proud to have completed a bi-coastal exhibit (LA & NYC) of my series, People Not Things. I’ll continue to paint throughout my life but music & lyricism is and always be my true love.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d like for us to explore the city together! I still feel so new here because I’ve been traveling so much since I’ve settled here. There’s a beautiful park I like to go to in Tucker called “The Henderson Park.” I go there to walk, clear my mind, exercise. I wish I knew of cooler places to go but I don’t lol. So if anyone reading this wants to show me around, please reach out!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I dedicate this shout out to my mentor, Susan Davis. She coaxed me into taking a “Leap Of Faith” toward my purpose and set up safety nets just incase I fell from time to time. Also, shout out to Focus For Health and The Middle Project for championing and supporting my organization, Strive Till I Rise.

Website: https://genesisbe.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/genesisbe
Twitter: https://twitter.com/genesisbe
Facebook: https://facebook.com/genesisbe
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/theintrovertedorator?sub_confirmation=1