A rampage of appreciation for Cristopolis and Thinking Hip-Hop. As an introduction to an interview with the man himself.

Cristopolis. The first blog post at his blog, July 27, 2006, strikes a chord with me, and the powerful question he asks at the end of that post is one aspect that inspired me to invite Cristopolis to contribute to Cyres Matters:

‘The question that I now sit here asking myself and that I hope you are asking yourself is whether I’m going to be one of the vital few or of the trivial many?’

At Cyres Cafe, we are obsessed with attracting talent. So we are thrilled to be Co-Creating with Cristopolis as he writes a song for Cyres.

I’ve been curious and supportive of ‘Thinking Hip-Hop’ since the first connection with Cristopolis. ‘Personal Development Through Hip-Hop’ resonated with my own fresh approach to personal development, ‘Personal Development Through Cafe Culture’.

I feel Hip-Hop, as with Cyres Cafe, is relevant and accessible, innovative and creative.

From the beginning, I felt we were both talking about a ‘Culture’, appreciating our respective Culture focus, and expanding that Culture in vital ways.

Part of the way we expand Cafe Culture focus is by being a pioneer, and with ‘Thinking Hip-Hop’ I see Cristopolis doing / being the same. Cristopolis is a pioneer who takes inspired action.

I learnt more about what Hip-Hop really means. From his second blog post:

‘On a fairly consistent basis I am asked by people a simple yet slippery question, “what is the difference between Hip-hop and rap”?

I normally give this short answer; Hip-hop encompasses an entire culture where as rap is the act of rapping or making words rhyme in the Hip-hop form. I also go on to clarify that rap music and Hip-hop music are not necessarily the same thing. For example, a McDonald’s TV commercial comes on and there are two kids with baseball caps tilted to the side rapping about french fries and chicken McNuggets, is this Hip-hop music? I would definitely say No. Is it rap? Well, yes….they’re rapping. This is my short answer to the difference between Hip-hop and rap.’

From diverse angles, and now in a powerful and brilliant blend, Cristopolis and Cyres Cafe are also evolving Personal Development Culture.
Creativity and Quantum Leaps come from mixing and matching.

I appreciate people who look at the world, and personal development, through a different lens. I appreciate people who make personal development relevant and accessible to a wider audience.

I believe that World Changing Ideas come from differences. One of the best ways to maximise differences is to mix cultures, ages and disciplines. I believe that’s easy to do whilst honoring the purity of origination. It is my intention to stimulate this, through Cyres Cafe, and I hope people will be inspired by, for example, a man who normally listens to Peter Gabriel finding deep appreciation in, and ideas through, Hip-Hop.

Mixing. Matching. Perfect blending. Positively Changing the World.

I’m hoping this coming together for co-creation stimulates thought and inspires a culture of being more open to difference and seeing it as an innovative place.

The Innovative Place. The Feel Good Place. Find it in You.

Cristopolis is being part of a technological revolution (see his blog) and I believe that you get a technologically innovative place by being open to being different, and by being one of the vital few that makes a difference.

Much of what Cristopolis says, focused on Hip-Hop, especially because it is also focused on self-development, can be applied to the art of Life and whatever your heartsong is. This, from a blog post titled, The ‘DIY’ Challenge, talks to me of self-empowerment, and focus on your vision no matter what circumstances surround you, and is relevant to whatever you do/be/have.
Think out of the box. Think different. Think for your-self.

‘Hip-hop artists have the blessing of being part of a technological revolution, which enables them to become self-reliant, in a way that has never been seen at any other point in history. Life during this revolutionary era forces us to ask ourselves deeper questions, in relation to our motives and the intentions of our art. In the past the only avenue for multi-media entertainment was through major companies that controlled the distribution channels, but today there are many alternatives to this. When focusing on Hip-hop music and the surrounding business, it becomes necessary to ask oneself, what is it that I am trying to accomplish and at what cost. The reason that this is necessary is because it is more difficult if not nearly impossible to get where you are going, if you do not know where that is. Many Hip-hop artists want to get signed to a major label, others want to create their own label, what do these things mean?

The DIY mentality does not stand opposed to any path, instead it affirms that ‘no matter what path you choose or stumble upon, the only person responsible at the end of the day is you’. The DIY ethic is a paradigm shift in the way we view ourselves and our role in our own careers. It is both empowering and intoxicating. I ask that you reflect on how you can use some of the resources that I have mentioned in this blog for your career, but first you must answer the personal question of what it is that you want out of your career.’

I honour rebels and revolution, evolution and expansion.

Re-imagining the World. That feeling place in imagination, inspires breaking down barriers. Thinking about Hip-Hop, music, conversations in Cyres Cafes, that means, no barriers to communication. Let’s learn to really talk to one another and listen from a broader perspective.

Another reason that I appreciate ‘Thinking Hip-Hop’ is because it honors youth! It celebrates youth. May more and more youthful revolutionaries rock this world for the benefit of all. Millions are making their way to the leading edge and many young people are leading the crusade. I salute them.

I am a Creativity Fanatic and an Intellectual-Capital Fanatic and I see those aspects combined in Cristopolis. In this red-hot-now, in this first of a series of interviews, I give the platform to, Cristopolis:

What is your role and mission within the Hip-hop community and culture?

What a great question! In the broadest sense of the question it is to be myself, to strive to create who I am according to how I envision myself at my full potential. In the more immediate sense, as part of the first generation of the Hip-hop community I have observed how this [once] counter-cultural movement has transformed into a mainstream multi-billion dollar industry. While this is a wonderful occurrence it is also a very challenging one. I find that currently within the culture there is an extreme amount of limitation in the thinking, in the music, and most importantly in the direction in which Hip-hop is headed.

But it does not have to be that way! I believe that there are infinite opportunities, possibilities and potential in life. And that we as individuals and as communities must strive to break the vicious cycle of poverty that continues to limit so many. My role and mission within Hip-hop is to be a resource which helps the community move out and stay out of mental, physical, and spiritual poverty. And an inspiration to embrace mental, physical and spiritual abundance!

How can Hip-hop inspire people to greatness?

Hip-hop was born out of the need for self-expression, and it continues to thrive on this fundamentally basic need on which it was founded. Identity is something that all people search for, it is an intrinsic part of life, to the extent that it greatly shapes our perception of whom we are, the world, and our role in it.

If Hip-hop as a culture and as a musical medium were to focus on values that empowered, educated, and inspired it would have the ability to revolutionize people’s outlook on their life. When an emcee composes a song about a challenging reality or situation, one similar to what someone else may be experiencing. And they explain through the lyrics of the song how they handled the challenges, and the steps that they took to create a better reality, these words of inspiration can at times be all that a person needs to make it through a difficult moment. Now if the way in which it is expressed is clever and more importantly ‘cool’, then the power that it has to inspire others to follow a similar path is immeasurable.

What happens when people emulate successful behavior? They normally become successful. And success has a tendency to breed success! Once a person knows that they can achieve whatever they put their mind too, what they choose to achieve tends to be greatness in their given vocation and within themselves.

How has your BA in Philosophy changed your life?

My formal training in philosophy taught me the skill of analytical thinking. This skill along with the in depth study of many of histories greatest thinkers exposed me to concepts that literally changed history and to ideas that have been forgotten and buried in books.

But most importantly I learned to think for myself. My studies provided me with the academic background to realize that while much of the knowledge we are presented with in the world is presented as absolute, it is in reality quite subjective and/or limited to current scientific and world paradigms. This has freed me to believe in myself, and in my own experiences. It has justified the conscious molding of my perspective of the world and to pick and choose from systems of thought in which I believe. I therefore continually strive to embrace ideas in which I find truth, which inspire me to be better and which empower me.

What does ‘greater awareness’ mean to you?

Greater awareness to me is quite synonymous with higher consciousness. My level of awareness is ultimately what determines my decisions, how I understand things from moment to moment, what brings me pleasure and what brings me pain. As my level of awareness increases I feel compelled towards more evolved choices, which in turn guide me along more quickly to experiencing my full potential.

What techniques for achieving peak performance do you practice and promote?

Peak performance is simple in theory but the demands, customs and habits of modern life (especially city life), have made it increasingly difficult to enjoy. I believe that we are 3 part beings consisting of mind, body and soul. Each of these 3 aspects which make up the human experience has equal importance and must be properly cared for and kept in balance. When any of these 3 areas of our being fall out of balance we experience a loss in our performance.

In [briefly] reviewing how to keep mind, body, and soul in balance we would need to pay special attention to the following;

The mind is a creative center which takes in ideas, creates ideas and acts upon ideas, thus experiencing itself through the quality of ideas in which it participates. To keep your mind in balance it is important to feed it through books, movies, conversations etc., stories of optimism, the understanding that you can overcome all obstacles, and values that inspire you not to partake in negative mental chatter, and negative conversations.

The body is our most direct connection with the physical world and it has certain basic physical needs that must be respected in order for it to function correctly. The most important of these needs being proper sleep, diet, and exercise. The amount of sleep and quality of sleep that you receive greatly affects our nervous system and when it is compromised we ultimately compromise ourselves. When talking about diet, there are two very important areas which must be cared for; how much we eat, and the quality and nutritional value of what we eat. Also, a practice of regular exercise is important in order for the body to stay healthy and resilient against entropy.

The soul is kept in balance through our conscious efforts of connecting with it and experiencing it. The most important practice that I know of for connecting with the soul is meditation. By remaining still and quieting the mind we experience the presence of our soul. And it is through this continued contact with the soul that we are able to directly experience the metaphysical aspect of our being. Also, prayer and gratefulness used together are great tools for allowing us to recognize our many blessings and in turn stimulating restlessness for contact with our metaphysical reality.

What are your tried and proven methods to attain success in life, love, and money?

There are many techniques related to goal oriented success and also to the law of attraction. There is a great deal of knowledge on these subjects and I highly recommend books such as ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’, ‘Think and Grow Rich’, ‘The Science of Getting Rich’, ‘The Science of Being Well’ and ‘The Secret’ in order to have an understanding of how to attain success in any area in which you choose.

But I have found that there is one simple but absolutely important technique that is my secret to getting anything that I want. It is to simplify. Simplify your thinking, your desires, your ambitions and imagination. Simplify until you have one very clear ‘thing’ that you want. And once you have determined that there is nothing that will stray you from this one very clear ‘thing’ that you desire, focus all of your energy like a laser through a magnifying glass on this ‘thing’. Do everything that you think will bring you even a millimeter closer to it, read everything related to it, study everyone who has achieved it, allow nothing to sway you and you will without a doubt achieve it. Frequently you will achieve it so quickly that you will amaze yourself! This is my most important technique.

How do you remove your own resistance to your best life?

Honesty, Conversation, and Meditation.

The first step in removing resistance is in acknowledging that it exists and this takes honesty. Frequently we will not know what it is that is causing the resistance but through meditation we are normally able to shed some light on the cause. A conversation with someone that you trust and respect (in my case it is normally my wife) will further aid in understanding the cause of and in releasing and acknowledging the feelings involved. Having understood the cause of resistance and released some of the emotions related to it, you are then able to return to a state of meditation with a focus on how to best handle the challenge.

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For The Interview Part II … stay tuned in

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CRISTOPOLIS BIO

Trilingual emcee CRISTOPOLIS has recorded a catalogue of conscious jolting material and is the Founder of the Thinking Hip-Hop Movement; dedicated to pioneering the field of personal development through Hip-Hop. He is fluent in English, Spanish and French, and holds a B.A. in Philosophy from George Mason University. CRISTOPOLIS makes his home with his wife in historic Columbia Heights, Washington, D.C., America.

Audiences worldwide are moved to action after listening to CRISTOPOLIS. Known for his unique brand of “Thinking Hip-Hop,” he delves deep into the mind of human creativity. His songs are profound and will motivate you to question your own destiny as you aspire to achieve your own greatness within.

Unlike many of his contemporaries whose lyrics tend to be riddled with nouveaux rich ideas of consumption, CRISTOPOLIS reveals tried and proven methods to attain success in life, love, and money. His message is greatness and as you listen he will instill the secrets in your mind towards achieving it. His eternal optimism and self belief is not only infectious, it has also been key to his own survival. Having been raised by a single parent in a time of economic crisis, he put himself through college. He has studied abroad in South America, The Caribbean and Europe. Taking on the challenges that life has to offer with an open heart has strengthened him in his mission to improve the human condition.

His music will uplift you, his words challenge you to take action, and his story will make you believe that all things truly are possible.

Discover more of his fascinating Bio while listening to his music!

You can also connect with him through the beat of his Blog and inside CRISTOPOLISpace.

Cristopolis. Cyres Cafe salutes You.