Artist Joey Bada$$ continues his tradition of advocacy, social impact, and philanthropy with the creation of ImpactMENtorship. This mentorship program aims to provides free mentorship for men of color 18 years and older in the US (including Puerto Rico). A study by The National Mentoring Partnership states only 2% of mentors in formal mentoring programs are Black men, even though Black males make up 6% of the US population. ImpactMENtorship believes that mentorship can help provide a path to professional and financial independence and statistics supports this thought process. Another study by The National Mentoring Partnership states finds 78% more likely to volunteer regularly, but they are also 130% more likely to hold leadership positions. Joey has assembled a roster of mentors in art, activism, culinary, fashion, film/TV, media, music, and sports including Swizz Beats, 19 keys, Vic Mensa and Will Welch. The mentors have committed to an hour of one on one mentorship per month for 2024.
Joey Bada$$ sat for an interview to discuss ImpactMENtorship and his own thoughts and perspectives on mentoring. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Stephanie Tharpe: Why is mentorship so important to you?
Joey Bada$$: I’m just trying to do my part. I’m in the blessed and privileged position to do my best to make a path for those who come from where I’ve come from and help them do the same thing with their lives that I’ve done.
Stephanie Tharpe: Did You have a mentor growing up? How did that affect the trajectory of your career?
Joey Bada$$: I feel like I’ve always had mentors. My first mentors were my parents. They measured me every day, whether I realized it or not or accepted it. They drove a lot of my early thinking and allowed me to think for myself and make my own decisions freely. Those lessons and guidance went a long way for me. When I started my career, I began meeting people who were more advanced than me in the industries I was navigating, and they wanted to help me. At that point, I was to receive that guidance. You must be ready to receive. The teacher appears when the student is ready.
Stephanie Tharpe: Why did you want to target the 18+ age demographic?
Joey bada$$: Many men of color haven’t had the opportunity for formal mentorship. When we hear the word mentorship, we usually associate it with kids or teens. I wanted this program to show that it’s never too late to redirect your life or open your mind to new things. One of the unique things about this program is that the mentees get to select their mentor, and then we allow the mentors to choose based on that. It’s a unique, personal process, and that was my goal.
Stephanie Tharpe: Why did you deviate from a music-focused mentorship program?
Joey bada$$: There are a lot of us who are navigating different talents and strengths. I wanted this to be something other than just the music industry knowledge. All of the industries that are represented have an intersection with art. The art, music, fashion, culinary, and sports industries are all interconnected. Ultimately, I want people to see this program as an opportunity to seek mentorship in industries they want to navigate or may already be. This is year one, and we’ve had seven different industries represented. I plan to expand that as much as I can in the future to include tech. We’re focused on that for next year.
Stephanie Tharpe: How did your participation in Unlock Her Potential push you to founding ImpactMENtorship?
Joey Bada$$: Unlock Her Potential is a program started by someone I’ve looked at as a mentor and my great friend, Sophia Chang. I’ve been a part of it for the last two years and was impacted by that experience. Seeing my guidance’s impact on somebody willing to receive it was a new experience. It was interesting to experience a relationship with someone who wanted to hear that from me. During my first year being involved, I worked with a young girl who went to the same high school that I went to. She aspired to do modeling and music, and we had a great teacher-student relationship. I’ve seen how much that has impacted and helped her. One day, I was walking in the mall and saw an ad she was in. It was an emotional moment for me, and this is what I do it for.
Stephanie Tharpe: Was making it available exclusively to men always the plan?
Joey Bada$$: I posted that I would participate in the program again in 2024 and saw a few comments saying, “There’s never anything for Black ack men or men of color. That comment was the direct catalyst for me because it was always something set in the back of my mind, but when I saw that, I knew I had to do it.
Stephanie Tharpe: What is a piece of critical advice you give to your mentees?
Joey Bada$$: What I like to focus on is planning and direction. A lot of people struggle with basic planning skills. They have all these dreams and goals but have no action plan to make them happen. Throughout my life, planning is something that I’ve been really good at. Planning allowed me to set things in motion to manifest what I wanted.
Stephanie Tharpe: What were your feelings when lecturing at Harvard and NYU?
Joey Bada$$: One part felt very ironic because I never went to college, and the other felt empowering. It showed me that anything’s possible when you use your mind and actions.
Stephanie Tharpe: What will your legacy be?
Joey Bada$$: I want my legacy to be someone who defied limits. With faith, action, and determination, there are no limits to what you can do. I want to be an expander for humankind and to be remembered as somebody who inspired you to do great.
Stephanie Tharpe: What are two books you recommend?
Joey Bada$$: The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph and 48 Laws Of Power by Robert Greene.
Applications for the ImpactMENtorship 2024 cycle opened at noon EST on Sunday, October 15, 2023, and will close in three days.
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