Ofosu Jones-Quartey—performing as Born I—is a conscious hip-hop artist and meditation teacher. A native of Washington D.C., his early life was impacted by the crack epidemic of the 1980s and 90s. His strong, educated, cultured Ghanaian parents helped him navigate tough times. Born I talks about being exposed to Buddhism at an early age, by his mother. His interest in conscious hip-hop led him to black history and spiritual studies. He discusses the appeal of the Dharma path and how he once considered living a monastic life. We dive into how he now balances his spiritual practice with being a husband and father; his connection with jazz music and the great John and Alice Coltrane; his great sense of fashion and why his attire is important to him; and—lastly—the release of his latest book, Lyrical Dharma: Hip Hop as Mindfulness, and his new CD, Komorebi.

https://bornimusic.com

For this episode, I sat down with Brooklyn native Ken “Shadow” Goodman, founder and chief combatives coach of 52 Blocks VTK (Violent Tactics Knowledge). We talk in depth about what it was like growing up in Bed-Stuy and trying to navigate the pull of the streets. He learned early on from elders in the community, but street life eventually got the best of him, and he ended up spending over twenty-five years inside the New York State prison system. It was there that he honed his skills as a 52 blocks practitioner. Our conversation ends with Shadow discussing his new path in life, giving back to his community in a positive way. Since his release from prison in December 2014, he’s used martial arts as a tool for healing, fostering resilience, and finding the will to prevail in the midst of chaos.

Guy Nattiv—the Israeli-born director, producer, and screenwriter—won an Oscar in 2019 for his short film Skin. His latest release, Tatami, is out now in select theaters. In this episode, we speak about the subject matter of Skin, his filmmaking process, and the impact it had on him and on the actors. It's a highly unconventional story of revenge, making Nattiv, in my mind, one of the most important filmmakers today. We discuss his upbringing in Israel and some of his personal and professional influences, including those fostered at Camera Obscura film school in Tel Aviv, from which he graduated in 2012.