CEO Al Pizarro’s Perspectives: “Unity Over Division”

Presented by Cynthia Lee for Hip Hop Blvd™

No HYPE — Just Keeping It Real.

In the world of hip-hop, it’s easy to see competition, envy, and division. But at Hip Hop Blvd, we believe the culture should do the opposite — it should unite us. That’s why we proudly collaborate with organizations that share a mission of uplifting the community.

From Guns Down Life Up to Street Corner Resources, we’ve joined forces with non-profits focused on non-violence and youth safety in New York City. We stand with them not just in words, but in action — supporting their events, tabling at their gatherings, and showing that hip-hop can be a force for positive change.

This philosophy of unity isn’t new to us. When I ran the SURE Record Pool, I regularly brought together members and music industry executives to learn from one another and strengthen relationships between DJs and labels. With the VIP Record Pool, I united multiple record pools from across the region — including the Connecticut Music Pool, Ricketts Record Pool, Reel Record Pool, and more — for monthly collaborative meetings. These moments taught me the true power of unity in hip-hop.

Now, let’s add a vision: if hip-hop were truly united, this culture we love could feed people, help people, support people, and have ownership in so many areas. That’s the goal we’re working toward.

And let’s not forget Team No Sleep, an organization doing incredible community work from toy drives to turkey giveaways, proudly representing Puerto Rican pride while bridging communities through hip-hop. Big shout-out to leaders like James Dobbins from Guns Down Life Up, Iesha Sekou from Street Corner Resources, Lou Rock from Team No Sleep, and the tireless efforts of the Peacemakers, Black Spades, and Zulu Nation, who all continue to uplift and empower our neighborhoods.