The EQ. Magazine — Issue 4: 2040 Vision

Issue 4 of The EQ. centers on Words Beats & Life’s vision for the future of hip-hop, highlighting global hip-hop education, cultural diplomacy and creative leadership. Featuring a cover story on the “Towards 2040: Creative Leaders Fellowship,” artist profiles, youth poetry, and photo essays from landmark events including DMV Hip-Hop’s 50th and Freshest of All Time Breaking Competition at the Kennedy Center, this issue documents how hip-hop functions as an outcome-driven cultural practice shaping education, equity and community worldwide.

Contributors: Dominic Painter, Mazi Mutafa, Adrienne Bedsole, Erica Keith, Mikal Amin Lee, Crystal Alexander, Richard Soben.


Read the Issue (Flipbook)

Read the full issue of The EQ. magazine directly on this page. Flip through Issue 4 to explore Words Beats & Life’s long-term vision for creative leadership, cultural impact and the future of hip-hop through the year 2040.

About This Issue: Vision for 2040

Issue 4 of The EQ. focuses on Words Beats & Life’s forward-looking vision and the launch of the Towards 2040: Creative Leaders Fellowship. This issue invites readers to imagine how art, culture and leadership can shape a more just and creative future.

Through essays, interviews and photo features, the magazine highlights emerging fellows, artists and thinkers using hip-hop as a design-centered, outcome-driven practice for social change. The stories explore leadership development, marginalized voices and the role of creativity in addressing global challenges.

This issue positions hip-hop not only as culture, but as strategy — a tool for shaping the next generation of creative leaders.


What’s Inside This Issue

  • Cover story on 2040 Vision with Asad Ali Jafri

  • Introduction to the Towards 2040 Creative Leaders Fellowship

  • Photo essay celebrating 50 years of hip-hop in the DMV

  • Features on marginalized voices and creative leadership

  • Arts education programs and future-focused initiatives


Issue Details

  • Publisher: Words Beats & Life Inc.

  • Publication: The EQ. magazine

  • Issue: Issue 4

  • Theme: Vision for 2040

  • Format: Print and digital magazine

  • Focus Areas: Creative leadership, cultural futures, arts education, social change

  • Writers & Contributors: Dominic Painter, Mazi Mutafa, Adrienne Bedsole, Erica Keith, Mikal Amin Lee, Crystal Alexander, Richard Soben.

  • Audience: Artists, educators, cultural leaders, youth and community organizers

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