- Micheal La Shon III
Time For Change: Mike Hype
Growing up in Pittsburg, California was a great experience. Almost everyone knows each other, and though there are still struggles, most of the youth are connected like a family. Recently, however, Pittsburg has had a spike in violence leading to multiple deaths, leaving the youth at a loss for answers. Some of the youth are leaders in the community, such as Mike Hype, a local artist and videographer. I spoke to him about the atmosphere among the youth of Pittsburg, or as we like to call it, P World.
ML3: So you explained to me that the recent killings in Pittsburg was the concept behind your video. How do you think these killings have impacted the youth in the community?
Mike: I think it has the youth in Pittsburg on edge right now. They're watching their peers fall right before them and they have to continue on like things aren't different.
ML3: How have these recent killing impacted you personally?
Mike: I've been more careful in the way I move man, I gotta make it home to my son.
ML3: What do you think has contributed to the rise in violence lately?
Mike: I think the fact that the youth and young adults in Pittsburg don't have anywhere for productive activities is the key to why many resort to violence in
the first place.
ML3: Who introduced you to videography? Or did you find it yourself? (Explain your start and when you made your first video)
Mike: I got into videography at around 14 years old. That’s when I started my YouTube channel editing various videos. I then began to venture into music. With time, I began to pair the two, and now I’m full time with music.
ML3: Do you believe that music can unite people against violence as well as insight violence among them?
Mike: Definitely, you know music is an art form,that is supposed to (when good) affect how you feel. If a song sounds like it’s supposed to make you turnt, that's what its gon do. Music has the power to do a lot of things. That’s (violence) just an unfortunate aspect of it.
ML3: How can the youth create a change in their respective communities?
Mike: The youth can create change by starting with themselves. We can't change the community until we change the people in the communities. We need the youth to become leaders and carry on the greatness that comes with being from Pittsburg.
Here's Mike Hype's new video:
