A vision was transformed into an actual reality with the creation of Hey Young World books that were developed by: Kareem & Portiay Nash & Tribeca whom hail from the Bronx. The books, which at their core are derived from hip- hop music. These books are converted into educational songs. The Hey Young World books were inspired by the mis-education of young urban youth. Mr. Nash expressed that some hip- hop music emphasizes the mindless rhetoric that is dumbing down the minds of the young. Children are exposed to musical lyrics and images that emphasize drug-dealing, sagging pants and other negative stereotypes Kareem along with his brother felt that it was time to give children a voice in efforts to rise above the negativity to which they are bombarded with in our society. The Hey Young World books are audio book, which provide children with an interactive experience. The lyrics in the books highlight the importance of correct grammar and good diction. The dialogue also include dance and song, which discuss complex issues that children encounter like bulling, discussing issues with parents and times of crisis. Portiay the second of the duo creates the musical beats that can be comprised with a Da La Soul melody would with be updated with a new and improved style, in order to relate to the musicality that the youth of today would find interesting. The Hey Young World books are designed for children that range in ages from four-eleven years old. Kareem also discussed that the parents as well as teachers raved about how the books have opened the children’s minds to learning in a new and imaginative way. He is constantly receiving fan letters from parents and children on how beneficial the books have been. The Hey World team has even traveled within the tri-state areas to charter school to promote and distribute the book. They are currently in works with the Promise school in Harlem to have the books more infused within the curriculum. The books are also being used by teachers in the curriculum to invoke conscious and compelling thought amount the youth. Core values are presented in the books such as morality, dignity, and loyalty these elements are sometimes missing from society. Children began to devalue those essential values Hey Young World books portray scenarios which not only define but accentuate these elements. The books are a platform for many other ventures in the future. The Hey Young World team plans on creating books for kids past the age of eleven; as well as delving into the world of arts such as: movies/plays, music, graphic production, visual production and forming a book club. In other future endeavors the team would envision taking inner city children on trips out of state to Washington DC to visit the White House, farms, museums etc for their further development and growth. Maya Angelou once wrote, “ I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The Hey Young World team has made this exact mark in the lives of the young people they serve.
The Hey Young World books are sold online as cd’s at Walmart in addition to Itunes they come in volumes one and two for the price of $6.99 & $7.99. BY: CAMILLE FRANIS