Brooklyn, New York — Health and wellness isn’t the most popular topic in most chart-topping hip-hop songs.
One New York emcee is trying to change that as both a lyricist and author.
Brooklyn rapper Supa Nova Slom’s new book, The Remedy, outlines how people who are a part of what he calls the ‘hip-hop generation’ to lead better lives.
“You can get into anybody’s program…and people yo-yo all the time,” Supa Nova said, describing what he calls a “fickle” dieting industry. “If you don’t begin to look at [your] health 360 degrees…then you’re not going to [care about] whatever goes into your body.”
While his passion is rhyming, Supa Nova decided his calling was to educate his community about the benefit of eating green and eating healthy — especially young students.
He released a hip-hop album, The Remedy, featuring such artists as The Game, Jadakiss and Erykah Badu, whom he also toured with previously as an unofficial medical consultant.
He’s known among many famous hip-hop artists as hip-hop’s “medicine man.”
“Any person that I came across that was in the business I would just share the principles,” said Slom, whose “green juice” is a staple of his book’s plan. “And I would just share the principles along the way and inspire people about the phenomenals of drinking greens and its benefits.”
“Drinking greens,” as Slom calls it, is a direct reference to his ‘Supa Mega Greens’ formula, which combines chlorophyll-containing plants and vitamins to act as a ‘liquid meal.’
Slom, 33, was raised under a strict eating regiment by his mother, Queen Afua, who has been a holistic healer in New York City for more than 30 years.
“I found out later on he wasn’t always eating his school lunches,” Queen Afua said, who sent Supa Nova to schools she thought would be more accepting of her vegan principles. “There were always issues, but I think today…everybody wants to heal. They just don’t know how.”
Supa Nova said many popular hip-hop artists are losing their lives due to health-related issues, which should act as a wake-up call to both fans, as well as older generations.
“Look at Guru of Gang Starr not even [50], J Dilla — he was 32,” Slom said of the artists’ health-related deaths. “Nate Dogg has had 2 strokes—this is the hip-hop generation. These are the people we identify with-so it’s time to wake up.”
“I just had to bring this information for those that really want to be around for their kids’ kids’ kids,” Supa Nova said. “I’m hip-hop from the cradle to the grave…but if we don’t make an investment in ourselves, it’s a wrap.”
Follow theGrio’s Todd Johnson on Twitter at @rantoddj
