Easy A.D. has a singular distinction. He is not a detached observer or keeper of history but a "Living Archivist," a true oral historian whose own lived experience is the very source material he preserves. A co-founding member the Legendary Cold Crush Brothers, Easy A.D. is an iconic pioneer who helped create hip hop in its very beginning in 1978. He and his group developed an explosive style that blended rhyme, rhythm, and spectacle.Their mythic ascent roared in a "Battle for Hip Hop Supremacy," a confrontation where their radical use of mixtapes earned a lasting place in history with a thrilling comeback. The group’s popularity soared, casting them at the forefront of the culture's first international growth through the seminal film Wild Style and their historic Japan tour. Today, the group still tours locally, nationally, and internationally, keeping their legacy alive within the culture. As DMC of Run-DMC beautifully summarizes in Easy A.D.'s first book foreword, "Easy A.D. is Hip Hop!” That same energy that drove Easy A.D.'s career in performance now drives his life's mission. He is committed to preserving, protecting, and showcasing hip hop, knowing it to be a part of American history—a historical antidote to recent efforts to remove or re-write Black and other oppressed histories. His lifetime of collecting treasured artifacts and oral histories gives root to his Archiving Hip Hop History Initiative. Through this work, Easy A.D. makes history tangible, making his irreplaceable collection available at esteemed institutions such as The Schomburg Center in Harlem, Los Angeles' GRAMMY Museum, and the 2025 AAM Annual Meeting & Museum Expo at the LA Center. Easy A.D. extends this living archive to a series of impactful health initiatives, leveraging hip hop to promote wellness and health literacy. As Coordinating Manager at the Hip Hop Public Health Education Center—co-founded by neurologist Dr. Olajide Williams and hip hop icon Doug E. Fresh—he uses music and multimedia to create culturally-tailored programs that have included appearances by artists like Chuck D and Run DMC. The Hip Hop H.E.A.L.S. program addresses childhood obesity through animated films and interactive activities; Hip Hop Stroke teaches children to educate at-risk adults; and The Old SCHOOL Project demystifies cognitive aging for students, who then engage seniors in their homes. These programs have reached more than 500,000 students since 2007, powerfully demonstrating hip hop’s role as a catalyst for intergenerational health. Easy A.D.'s dedication to the culture is evident in his other corresponding efforts. His "I Am Hip Hop Book Series," a children's chapter book collection, gives tomorrow's generation a vital interest in hip hop's history by chronicling both well-recognized, and unheralded artists' experiences. He also does read-and-talks about his books in schools and libraries and is developing the Black Bookstore Network, a grassroots effort to bring hip hop's actual origin story to every community. From inner-city streets to stage to classroom, Easy A.D.'s full-circle journey is an enduring testament to hip hop's lasting effects, and at its center is a message that genuine art is a blueprint for a lasting legacy.