Paradise the Architect: Hip Hop Game Changer

Paradise Gray was raised in the South Bronx during the days of Reaganomics, when the trickle down theory was in full effect. With live entertainment being financially inaccessible, the young people began to create their own forms of entertainment. This raw, new music scene crafted in the inner cities of New York is now affectionately known as “Hip-hop”. Paradise was a young street D.J. mentored by some of Hip-hop’s Legendary founding DJ’s: Disco King Mario, Pete DJ Jones, The Grand Imperial DJ J.C., and D.J. C.C. Howard. Paradise’s life was formed by Hip-Hop and how he’s using it to change the lives of young Black men.

As an entertainment manager and host for The Legendary Hip-hop Club “The Latin Quarter” aka (The LQ, Paradise was in the center of the “The Golden Era” Of hip-hop where legendary artists honed their skills. Those artists include: Eric B & Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-1, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and many others. Paradise and Lumumba Carson formed The BlackWatch Movement that spawned the group X-Clan. Dubbed The Grand Architech, Paradise was X Clan’s main producer of both of The X-Clan’s albums: “To The East Blackwards” and “XODUS. The X-Clan spoke before the Congressional Black Caucus and were nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

These days, Paradise serves as the Executive Director of Pittsburgh’s One HOOD, a youth organization committed to youth empowerment and violence prevention. He is a founding organizer of Pittsburgh’s “Coalition Against Violence” and is a part of many other social movements in Pittsburgh. For all he’s accomplished as a hip hop pioneer and his ongoing community service, Paradise Gray is a true game changer.