Jahi is an internationally recognized curator, cultural historian, education designer, and Hip Hop practitioner whose work bridges museums, education, and community empowerment. Born in East Cleveland, Ohio, and based in Oakland, California for over two decades, Jahi has dedicated his life to preserving, presenting, and advancing Hip Hop culture as a global, life-affirming movement. Currently, Jahi is the co-DJ for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rap group, Public Enemy. In addition, Jahi is an education designer and a consultant for Hip Hop Public Health based in New York City, NY.

 Jahi is the author of three books- “The Microphone Journeyman- Influences, Messages and Notes from the Stage,” “The Intersection between Hip Hop Culture and Education,” and his upcoming release “The Microphone Journeyman- The Journey Continues,” which will be released Spring 2026. Jahi as an artist has 19 albums, and his upcoming release, “Journeyman Rap" features a music video filmed in Dakar, Senegal, and explores Amapiano, Afrobeats, Reggae, and continues Jahi’s legacy of socially conscious Hip Hop. 

Jahi has 19 albums over a 26 year career, including a major release, Soulhop the Breakthru on EMI Denmark in 2006. Jahi has performed all over the world presenting socially conscious Hip Hop with high energy performances.

From 2023 to 2026, Jahi served as Museum Curator for The Black Panther Party Museum at The Oakland Community School under the leadership of the Huey P. Newton Foundation. In this role, he researched and unearthed archival photographs, conducted interviews, wrote and edited exhibition copy, co-designed layouts and graphics, trained staff and docents, and helped shape the narrative, visual identity, and visitor experience of the museum. His curatorial work centers cultural integrity, community voice, and historical precision.

 In 2023, he founded the Bay Area Hip Hop Archives, serving as Lead Curator of a collective honoring more than 55 artists, activists, and educators who have contributed over 20 years to Hip Hop culture locally and globally. Jahi designed the preservation plan for artifacts, developed institutional partnerships, organized induction ceremonies, built the archive’s digital presence, and regularly speaks on the importance of cultural archiving and historical stewardship. 

Jahi was the Special Curator for Hip Hop @50 at the Oakland Museum of California, becoming the first practitioner of Hip Hop culture to curate a month-long 50th anniversary celebration at the institution. He programmed artists, designed the thematic framework, managed eight stages, oversaw logistics and technical production, and crafted the marketing strategy, creating an intergenerational celebration of the culture.

 As an Education Designer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jahi developed cultural guides for Hip Hop inductees, ensuring authenticity and cultural accuracy in educational materials. He led workshops and trainings for educators and created multimedia tools that support the teaching of Hip Hop history and impact. 

Earlier in his career, Jahi served as Program Manager for African American Male Achievement within the Office of Equity at Oakland Unified School District, overseeing programming across 15 schools. He managed staff, partnerships, curriculum development, grant writing, and family engagement efforts serving more than 300 students and families. His leadership focused on advocacy, academic excellence, and reducing suspensions and referrals. His work was featured in Essence Magazine, The New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Jahi's entrepreneurial ventures focus on lectures, art programming, drum making, and presenting the positive dimensions of Hip Hop culture. His additional curatorial and academic work includes collaborations with the de Young Museum, Berkeley Lab, Chabot Space & Science Center, OMCA’s Respect: Hip Hop Style and Wisdom exhibition, and guest lectures at more than 20 museums worldwide through The Intersection Museum Tour. 

He also served as an Adjunct Professor at Holy Names University, teaching “Hip Hop in the Contemporary World.” 

Educated in Cultural Anthropology at Berkeley Community College and Early Childhood Education at Cuyahoga Community College, Jahi’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to scholarship, performance, and institution-building. Across museums, classrooms, stages, and communities,  Jahi continues to shape how Hip Hop culture is preserved, taught, and experienced—ensuring its legacy remains rooted intruth, integrity, and collective empowerment.