Today we’d like to introduce you to Maynard Okereke.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I graduated with a degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of Washington in Seattle. Music & acting had always been a passion of mine, but as I was focused on my education and career, I never took the time to fully exercise my dreams. After working with an engineering firm for a number of years doing high infrastructure projects, I finally reached a breaking point and decided it was time to explore my creative talents. I put in my resignation, packed my bags, and drove down to Southern California with a goal to fully invest myself in creative opportunities.
While doing a number of film, commercial, and music projects, I never lost sight of my passion for science and learning. I always used music as a tool to dive deeper into topics about the world around me and wanted to find a creative way to express my love for two seemingly differing fields. I started Hip Hop Science as mostly a comedic sketch idea, using song lyrics as a mythbuster to analyze and verify different subject matter. The Hip Hop MD became my character that I spoke through, an atypical Bill Nye persona that would take seemingly laughable and over-the-top subjects, and break down in more interesting, scientific ways. As I continued creating content, I soon realized there was an actual educational need for this type of discussion. People were learning about complex scientific topics through a more easily relatable and palatable format, and I wanted to find a way to use my voice to be more impactful.
I developed the Hip Hop Science platform out further with a mission to encourage more minority involvement in the STEM fields by bridging the gap between music, entertainment, and science. My journey into the sciences had always seemed like an outlier, as I didn’t see mentors, teachers, or professionals that looked like me in these fields. I realized the strong disparity there was with minorities, particularly African-Americans, entering into the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) fields. Many times, we feel isolated or excluded because of the lack of representation, and also because we don’t have voices within those professions that speak to us. I wanted to show that you could be able to easily talk about science subjects like black holes & biomimicry in nature, just as easily as the latest fashion trend or rap album release. If I had platforms and educators that we’re able to speak to me on that level, my journey and exposure to the science fields likely wouldn’t have been such a daunting experience. Hip Hop Science became that cross-connection, using everyday things that we talk about in entertainment & music to explain complex scientific matters.
I now work as a Science Communicator with my Hip Hop Science Show platform. I work with a number of educators, institutions, organizations, and businesses to not only help educate and inspire minority youth to pursue careers in STEM but also how to use curiosity as a tool to learn more about the world around them. My work has sent me on amazing exploratory trips to wildlife areas, museums, and science centers, as well as sit-down interviews with incredible scientists. Through my vlogs and social media posts, I highlight interesting and relatively unknown discoveries in the world of science and use comedy, music, & entertainment as a vessel to better understand the material. It’s been amazing seeing how my work has inspired future scientists & innovators, as well as people that long felt they didn’t have a voice that spoke to them. I look forward to continuing to grow my platform and using my love for science and music to uplift interest in STEM to minority & underprivileged communities.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s definitely been a trying journey. Coming in, I never had the vision of being a science communicator. I knew I had a love for entertainment and education and just wanted a way speak my authentically true self. The most difficult part was the transition of leaving a fruitful & successful career, and diving into the unknown. Having to make a number of sacrifices to make ends meet and staying persistent at my craft when opportunities kept closing. One of my goals of developing my Hip Hop Science platform was to eventually bring it to the masses as a television show. Obviously, pursuing that area in entertainment is filled with ups and downs and also incredibly competitive. Staying true to my vision and continuing to chase opportunities is a constant struggle that I still navigate on a daily basis.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My Hip Hop Science platform helps encourage more minority involvement into the STEM fields. I use music as a teaching tool to explain complex scientific subjects and work with organizations to help inspire the next generation of scientists. I specialize in creative content, social media, public speaking, and hosting through this platform. My work has become known for being a valuable educational resource and motivation for underprivileged youth and minority communities. I am most proud for the opportunity to use my voice and presence to break the stereotype of what a scientist looks like. Our education system needs a change as our communities become more diverse. I aim to show that diversity in the workplace and STEM careers is a critical driving force behind innovation. I want others to be inspired by my stories and use their curiosity to take them places they never imagined. I believe what sets me apart the most is my authentic and unique journey into this field. I had to break a number of stereotypes and glass ceilings to get into this space and be respected as someone capable of delivering factual and intelligent science information. I share this journey quite often in my speaking engagements with youth and young working professionals alike. Hopefully showcasing that they too can pursue any and every opportunity to set out for.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe luck is a byproduct of hard work and strong effort. In order to be lucky sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time or simply in the right state of mind. More often than not, being in that right position comes from you putting the work in, trying out new things, remaining curious, and challenging yourself to think outside the box. I have a phrase I use in my speaking engagements “Curiosity is Nature’s Ph.D.”. I believe my curiosity and inquisitiveness has led me down incredible paths and opened up new opportunities that otherwise may never have been possible. These opportunities may seem “lucky” to some, but they’re a result of me putting in the time, practicing, getting ready, gearing up, and embracing the challenges ahead.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hiphopscienceshow.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/hiphopscienceshow
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/hiphopscienceshow
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/thehiphopmd
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/hiphopscienceshow
Image Credits
USA Science Festival
