Daily Inspiration: Meet Hayden Collette

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayden Collette.

Hi Hayden, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in a very poor area of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. I dreamed of getting out of poverty & coming to America from a very young age. I played soccer from a young child and used it to eventually come to the USA on an Academic/Athletic scholarship. I started recording at the age of 14, also. I worked my way through college, at times being homeless. After I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Management, I moved to NYC, Ohio and then to Denver, Colorado. I went through many difficulties with Immigration, even ending up in ICE detention. I fought my own Immigration case and eventually won the case, causing my release from INS ICE Detention. I started a hip-hop group & Sociocultural concept called Righteous Revolution with two other artists in 2002.

This eventually became Righteous Revolution LLC, through which we distribute our music and merchandise. I also started Denver Caribbean Catering which is based on authentic Caribbean cuisine. I had by this time thousands of hours of professional culinary experience which, along with my history in the Caribbean, I poured into the Denver Caribbean concept. Righteous Revolution has released 4.studio albums and we perform locally. We have opened for legendary acts like KRS1, theGZA, Raekwon, Killah Priest, Brand Nubian, Keith Murray & Acts like Devin the Dude & Bobby Bushay. Righteous Revolution is a conscious concept aimed at using hiphop music to raise awareness and understanding of realities ranging from the Historical to the political to the spiritual. We are on the verge of releasing another EP based on the current social situation. I am also doing visual Art based on Black Culture and History displayed at Bar Red on Colfax in Denver. Presently I am completing my Master’s Degree in World History at Norwich University while running my Catering company and making music. I am married and I have three beautiful children. There are very important details I left out of this brief summary. I hope nevertheless this gives you a general idea of my story.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
1. Being born in Third world poverty 2. Overcoming a childhood of domestic abuse. 3. Getting into a College in the USA from another country with no contacts 4. Completing college in the USA as a student-athlete, at times enduring homelessness. 5. Overcoming Immigration obstacles such as being held in INS detention. 6 Becoming a US Citizen. Cost, complication, decades of paper work. 7 Completing my Master’s Degree.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Righteous Revolution is a concept I (Emcee AKX) am proud to have brought to fruition with the help of Rashaun Blackwell/ NattiRed (a DJ and rapper out of Concinatti) and Adrian Collier/ Rhapsodic (a producer & sound engineer from Arizona). We created the concept to continue the tradition of “Conscious hiphop” while offsetting the negative cliche we felt hiphop music & culture had become. We also created it to highlight the mic between Caribbean dancehall music & hiphop while using Lyrical content heavily based on black History, Culture, Sociology & Spirituality. As a result, we have performed. Locally especially at events that celebrate African American life, such as the Marcus Garvey & Malcolm X celebrations held annually. We have also opened for Artists that share our genre & mission like KRS1, Wise Intelligent & Brand Nubian. We have created hiphop. music for nearly two decades that never strays from The Righteous Revolution theme and stays true to the characteristics of “East Coast Boom Bap hiphop.” while paying homage to the Roots & Culture of Jamaican dancehall music. My primary influence in creating Righteous Revolution music are artists like Public Enemy, Poor Righteous Teachers, Talib Kweli and KRS1. Our mission is to speak the truth and bring a Positive vibe to the Artform of Hiphop music.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That I am an immigrant who spent time in immigration detention as a prisoner of the us government.

Contact Info:

• Email: hcollette@my.com
• Website: www.righteousrevolution.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akx_righteousrevolution/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/RighteousRevolutionAKX
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/RighteousRevolu
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC5LAKL5M623WAd_5dYaLN4Q

Image Credits
Jennifer Collette