High 5 to eco rapper Hila the Earth

How and why are you using rap to talk about climate issues? 

I’ve been a huge fan of hip-hop since I was a little kid. I grew up in New York City, the birthplace of hip-hop, and I feel that the legacy of rap music and hip-hop is one of community and communicating struggle, and also perseverance and empowerment through music and collective thought. When you rap you can get a lot of lyrics into a very short amount of time. And so when you’re communicating anything, especially science or deep concepts about earth regeneration, it’s a really helpful and useful tool. It’s also super fun.

Do you do anything else on the side? 

This is my full-time job. I collaborate with brands and organizations to create songs and communicate messaging through music and hip-hop. I do a lot of really incredible different events. As a musician, I find it exciting that I can perform in venues that are not just your average bar or concert hall. It’s great to see all the different spaces that I fit into and my music fits into.

What is the most fun you’ve had as Hila the Earth? 

Fun is part of the ethos of the whole operation. I have a lot of fun performing at events where people are taking action, like clean-up events. I have so much fun doing the clean-up, performing, amping up everybody, getting everyone hyped for the awesome work that we’re doing. I have a lot of fun at community garden events. I love it when kids are present. I love it when people can just let loose and dance with me.

Does the fun element help to get your message across? 

I think that using music and comedy and joy puts people in a state of ease and happiness. That to me is the most effective way to make things happen, to take action. I don’t think that a lot of people operate out of shame and fear and depression. At least speaking for myself, that holds me back when I’m dwelling in those mental states. And it’s very hard not to [dwell] when you hear what climate scientists are saying about our trajectory. My goal is to balance that out with solution-based messaging that also makes you feel really good and ready to take on the challenge.

What have you gained personally from using your skills in this way? 

It’s connected me with the Earth so much deeper than I could have ever imagined I would be. Because everything I’m doing is in service to the Earth … I really have oriented my whole life towards listening to the planet and what she wants. It makes me feel on a personal level so much more connected and purposed. 

What is the best response you have had to your eco rap?

By far it’s the viral video of me on Mother’s Day at Tompkins Square Park. This video last year took my followers from 50,000 to 150,000. It was such a big achievement … and I feel like I’m still riding the coattails of that. 

Why do you think the video resonates with people? 

It’s an interesting video because I’m very small on the screen … it’s a candid video made by someone in the audience. And it’s just silly – you see this little Earth bouncing around. I put the lyrics up on the top, so you can see the lyrics that I’m saying. The song, ‘Dirty Talk’, is truly one of my best because it merges wordplay and sexual innuendo and also earth science about soil into this one killer piece. I love capturing people’s attention with the sexual innuendos, but then having them really hear what I’m saying brings it all home.

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