Andreas Hale is a jazz artist. Many of our favorite sports, music and culture writers are. While he may not play the saxophone on stage in front of hundreds, his work rings true in the eyes of readers as Louis Armstrong’s notes did in the ears of a generation. “If you have to ask what Jazz is, you’ll never know,” Louis Armstrong famously told a reporter. The same could be said of Hip-Hop. For years, Hale has not asked but rather contributed to what he knows Hip-Hop culture to be. It is more than a sole microphone or a critically acclaimed album. It is something that lives and breathes in our everyday actions and in his case, Hale’s college decision.
“The second reason [I decided to go to Morehouse College] was Outkast. Once I found out that Outkast was in Atlanta, I said that I needed to be there.”
A fan of Outkast, Jay-Z and many of the artists that are now considered all-time greats, Hale was a regular in the local record store in Las Vegas. Much like jazz, Hale’s first career opportunity after leaving Morehouse was created by improvisation. Stumbling into a conversation about Hip Hop Site, Hale landed a spot writing album reviews.
“One day I went and they said they needed someone to do an album review. I said I could do it and they asked me who I was. I just said I’m the guy who’s always in the store.”
Playing with the power and flexibility of syllables, Hale was bold, honest and creative in his critiques of rising groups like Kidz In The Hall and established acts like Mos Def. Above all else, he never wrote anything that his heart couldn’t stand. If he had to write reviews on a scale, he intended to use every last note made available to him.
“If I have five mics or whatever the scale may be, I’m going to use all of it. I remember one time I reviewed something from Das EFX and I gave it a one. They were like, ‘We’re never going to send you anything ever again’ and I was like ‘Okay.'”
His authenticity is what ultimately took him from Hip Hop Site to HipHopDX, BET and beyond. As the Editor-In-Chief at HipHopDX, Hale ushered in the site’s most successful era. Under his leadership, the brand was home to a roster of voices that included former Vibe Deputy Editor William Ketchum III, The Breakfast Club’s Charlamagne Tha God and 2DopeBoyz founders Meka and Shake.
“We were just kids who enjoyed Hip-Hop.”
During the height of the blog era, HipHopDX desired to be more than just a site for new music. As Armstrong once said, “What we play is life.” From talking about the Floyd Mayweather-Ricky Hatton with Swizz Beatz to covering Lil’ Jon’s foray into sports management, there was always a need to talk about sports, fashion and food because Hip-Hop has always been a lifestyle. Furthermore, Hip-Hop has always ventured into the areas that have been considered taboo because Hip-Hop is counter-culture.
“One of the biggest conversations we had that year was about the porn convention. I said that I was going to cover it and they were like, ‘No, you’re not.'”
“While I was at the convention, I ran into DJ Premier and he asked me why I was there. I told him I was there for the same reason he was there. Later on, we did an article where I had Phonte and Sinnamon Love talk about Hip-Hop. It ended up being one of our biggest articles.”
His interests led him from one outlet to the next, diversifying his sound and building an audience. Ultimately, the Las Vegas pen crossed paths with Jay-Z. A year after their first meeting, Hale found his way into Life + Times. There, he worked on the predecessor to Genius’s Verified, Decoded. Ranging from Goldlink to Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z’s thought child pulled back the curtain on some of the most emotive songs of the 2010s. Hale even mentioned there is an unreleased episode featuring Nipsey Hussle.
After nearly two decades of discussing Floyd Mayweather or arguing about who the top five MCs are, Hale is still here doing what he loves. Louis Armstrong put it beautifully when he said, “Musicians don’t retire. They stop when there’s no more music left in them.” Co-hosting The Corner podcast with Kel Dansby and working as the Senior Combat Sports Editor for DAZN and Sporting News, there is more music left in the former Morehouse student. To be frank, his voice is needed now more than ever.
“We march, y’all mad. We sit down, y’all mad. We speak up, y’all mad. We die, y’all silent,” he infamously tweet in the midst of the 2016 election season.
Creating a medley of work that explores the intersections of race, music, sports and culture, Hale continues to provide a platform for musicians and fighters of all styles to voice their concerns about the state of the country. Most recently, he hopped on Kofi and Big E’s podcast to discuss the current social unrest across the globe.
“I just want to provide a familiar voice to [fighters], so they feel comfortable talking about these things.”
These conversations become even more tricky when it comes to raising a Black child in America during the Trump era. The father of a 3-year-old and an uncle, Hale hopes to have fruitful conversations while leading by example.
“My daughter is 3-years-old, so we don’t have all of those conversations yet, but she sees Black excellence. My wife is in real estate and is becoming an attorney. She sees pictures of Muhammad Ali and stuff like that. Later, I’m going to watch Da 5 Bloods and she’ll probably come by and be like, ”What is that?’ But she sees it.”
This Father’s Day will be a unique one for the Hale household. Much like a touring artist, Hale typically spends weekends on end traveling from city to city covering the world’s biggest fight cards. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has sectioned off live fights to Las Vegas and UFC’s Fight Island.
“I was folding clothes the other day, [my daughter] came by and I was like, ‘I’m not going anywhere.'”
Putting life on pause is never a bad thing if you are enjoying it with those you love. Wilder, Fury, Spence and others will return to the ring when the time comes. For now, Hale will remain where he is needed most, home, with those who bring him joy. In trying times like this, joy and family is what matters. As Armstrong once said, “All you can do is stay happy.”
Enjoy Father’s Day Andreas!
