As long as it has been around, coffee has always attracted creative and artistic people. Whether it is the coffee shop serving as community gathering spots or just the coffee itself inspiring expression, coffee fuels art, music, culture, and human connection. Today we are going to be talking with an artist whose music career has been focused on covering the truth of these subjects and whose own discovery of specialty coffee has helped shape his work, mindset, and mission. We are having a conversation with hip hop artist, Propaganda! Propaganda grew up in a working class black family and lived in a predominant Latino neighborhood of LAThere was a sense of multiculturalism from the very beginning and Prop saw how one personʼs problem could very similar to that of another person. For Prop, music is way to create conversations about substantial entities that impact us on a daily basis and to see how faith can help guide us along the way. After he graduated college with degrees in illustration and intercultural studies, he taught high school for six years and had a hand in founding two charter schools in LA, one of which had a focus on the arts. 2007 he resigned from teaching to pursue music full-time and began touring as a solo artist. He joined the Humble Beast family and unveiled a series of four albums that put his music on the map. Prop fell in love with coffee while on tour and has since been a coffee entrepreneur, enthusiast, and advocate even producing 2 Sprudgie award winning coffee focused songs, "If Coffee was a Man, and "Calibrate" This is a wonderful and deep conversation about music, cultural authenticity, courage, and the cup of coffee that brings us together.  We cover: Finding art and music Motivations and going full time Discovering coffee and waking up the pallet Elegance and complexity of art and coffee Connecting culture to coffee Coffee as the heritage of POC Bringing POC into the coffee space Authenticity and overcoming the fear of being you Shop spaces representing culture The importance of collaborations and lifting others up Links: www.prophiphop.com Red Couch Podcast Hood Politics Music Video "Calibrate" If Coffee was a Man   Related Episodes: (seriously listen!) 337: Founder Friday w/ Diana Martinez of Cafe Calle, Los Angeles 284 : Founder Friday! w. Jackie Nguyen of Cafe Cà Phê | Kansas City, MO 310 : Founder Friday w/ Jelynn Malone and Beverly Magtanong of Mostra Coffee 348: Founder Friday! w/ Benito Burmudez of Cafe Unido, Panama City, Panama! 199 : Founder Friday w/ Mario Jimenez of Banana Dang Coffee, Oceanside, CA 289 : Founder Friday w/ Ochen Simon Eidodo of Chariots Coffees, Uganda! 279 : Founder Friday! w/ Daniel Brown and Nephthaly Leonidas of Gilly Brew Bar 236 : Founder Friday! w/ Meil Castagna-Herrera & Curtis Herrera of Cafe Corazon! 183 : Exploring Diversity w/ Phyllis Johnson 116 : Understanding Gentrification w/ Dr. Stacey Sutton 338: A Conversation w/ Martell Mason of The Sepia Coffee Project, Detroit, Michigan 089 : La Marzocco USA General Manager, Andrew Daday : Leadership, Innovation, service, heritage   Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com