By Keith Tucker, Founder and Executive Director of Hip Hop is Green
I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the capacity to hear endless hypotheses about the 2024 election numbers. In a country that wasn’t designed for marginalized communities to thrive on a healthy planet—which the hip hop revolution so searingly confronted with classics like “Fight the Power”—I’m upset but not surprised by the election results. But also, the only number that should be on the tip of everyone’s tongue right now is 424 parts per million (ppm)—the current concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere.
Each “part” is a tick on the clock toward the destruction of our planet. Once we hit 450 ppm, we may have reached the point of no return.
But for most of us, this number isn’t top of mind. Why? Why are we so detached from nature? And even more importantly, why are we so disconnected from ourselves?
One reason is simply because the detachment from nature was intentional—a systematic, strategic maneuver that derives from greed. And we’re seeing the results: The U.S. has recently elected an administration that has aggressively dismantled environmental protections. Under the leadership of a man whose slogan, “Drill, baby, drill,” sums up an entire philosophy of reckless extraction—which has swept all branches of government—power will prioritize profit over people and planet.
But this backlash to progress isn’t a “first” in history. The more forcefully that power tries to distort and harm us, the more fearful it is of our real power. Now it’s time to wake up and redirect our power toward the climate. You ever wonder why “woke” became weaponized against marginalized communities? Just ask hip hop.
We’re more powerful than we think, so let’s not allow people’s and systems’ attempts to cause despair rule our choices. Join us in wielding hip hop culture’s immense power to remind everyone why we’re not as small as we’re made to feel. The so-called minorities will be the majority soon.
Let’s reinvest in what really matters. Here’s what I’m calling on you to do:
Hip hop is—roots.
Hip hop was born in our deepest roots—it reflects our communities, ancestors’ soil, sense of self, and layered humanity. We must shift our thinking to understand the deep mental and emotional roots of the environmental crisis. Greed, manipulation, and control—a mindset that values short-term profits over long-term survival—has tried to disconnect us from our roots. This issue isn’t just political—it’s a profound failure of humanity to live in harmony with the natural world that sustains us.
Hip hop is—connection.
To that end, the best way we can reconnect to our roots is by investing in programming, like our Youth Excellence Program, that restores communities’ connection to these roots and redistributes power to marginalized communities that built America. As I was writing this article, I was on a bus with young people and their teachers—returning from a field trip, where they learned about the environment, planted trees, and explored green careers. These young people are literally and figuratively planting the seeds for a better world.
Hip hop is—transformation.
The 1% of America has spent billions of dollars electing people who have no interest in the future of our planet. This unchecked capitalism, colonialism, and industrial expansion has brought us to 424 ppm. And here’s the thing—the rest of Americans are actually the ones paying the price. And so will our children, grandchildren, and the survival of all life if we don’t put our dollars where they matter.
The Cree Native proverb says, “Only when the last tree has died, the last river been poisoned, and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.”
For decades, Indigenous people and scientists have been warning us about the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, the acidification of our oceans, and the bleaching of coral reefs. They’ve told us about the toxic air we breathe, the melting glaciers, and the impending collapse of biodiversity. But these voices have been drowned out by corporate interests—namely, their relentless pursuit of money at the expense of our survival.
But also remember—the hip hop industry is worth billions of dollars and can significantly affect the economy. Hip hop culture, with its vast influence on youth around the world, is an undeniably powerful tool for change.
Hip hop culture is the bedrock of social transformation. So together, let’s move the culture toward environmental sustainability, health, and wellness. We’ve already made a huge step in that direction—the day after the 2024 election, in fact, when we co-hosted a hip hop climate conference with young people, leading hip hop artists, elected officials, advocates, filmmakers, and more.
If you have resources, will you step up? Will you invest your dollars, time, and network into fixing the climate crisis with us? This crisis isn’t a distant problem; it’s already happening—and whether or not Earth will be livable depends on what we do now.
Will you help us act before it’s too late?
