Rahfeal Gordon’s motivational speech is simple: He tells the story
of his own life in three chapters. Each begins with a hip-hop lyric
that he knows will be meaningful to a young audience, like these
incoming freshmen at Montclair State University. Gordon says he uses
positive hip-hop lyrics to encourage youths, especially those who grew
in poverty and abuse, as he did. His talk is called "Hip Hop Saved My
Life.”

"When I had my very dark moments in life, I would put on certain
songs, whether it be from Jay-Z, Tupac, Kanye West,” Gordon said. "They
kept me going through the hard times. They fulfilled a certain void
that I couldn’t fulfill, like not having a father or mother there, so I
felt they could relate because they would tell these stories.

You might see a tear, you might not. But just understand that where
I come from, it’s a long road,” he explains. "Some of us probably share
the same situations, but understand: you can make it, you will make it.
You’re here,” Gordon adds.

Gordon says his childhood was happy until his parents became
addicted to drugs and his father began to beat Gordon’s three brothers
and mother. They left to live on the streets and in homeless shelters.
Gordon says he tries now be a voice for others, including a brother who
was murdered at the age of 19.

"When I lost my brother, that was, really, a moment when things
really started to take off, in the sense of saying, ‘I really, really
want to be that individual to really help people, to help individuals,”
Gordon said. "I can’t be Superman. I can’t save the world, but I think
if I can help an individual, I am saving the world.’”

Gordon’s grandparents, Orreleen and Wyatt Warren, also helped him survive.

"I love my grandmother. She is like, if they say, ‘Who is your first
girlfriend?’ I say my grandmother!,” he said. "They say a village child
is an individual who is being raised by the entire community of people.
Those people are now investing into you, so that you can become this
village child, be a person who can hold a village on your back with
ease,” Gordon said. "And that’s who I was, and my grandmother was like
the mayor of the village.”

Rahfeal Gordon says he hopes to one day take his motivational
lecture to young people across the United States and in other
countries. Earlier this year, he was named social entrepreneur of the
year by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. The
award recognizes youth businesses that aim to help communities.

"Woo! It’s four years I’ve been trying to get this award!” Gordon says as he accepts the award at the NFTE Awards Ceremony.