In this episode of the Spark Zen Podcast,I have the good fortune to engage in a deep conversation with Ofosu Jones-Quartey (also known as Born I), a musician and Buddhist practitioner. We discuss Ofosu's multicultural upbringing as a first-generation American from Ghana, his spiritual journey through diverse religious traditions, and his ultimate embrace of Buddhism influenced by his mother's practices.
Ofosu details his unique path into hip-hop, describing how underground East Coast hip-hop profoundly impacted his sense of identity and artistic direction. He shares his integration of spiritual themes into his music, particularly reflecting on the impact of teachings from Buddhism and the works of Thich Nhat Hanh. Our conversation also explores Ofosu's struggle with OCD, his approach to self-compassion, and advice from his teacher, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, about dropping his idea of being a “good Buddhist” practitioner.
We discuss the importance of self-love, especially in his children's book, Love Your Amazing Self, highlighting how early self-compassion can address broader societal issues. His latest book Lyrical Dharma: Hip-Hop as Mindfulness will be published by Parallax Press in July. You can pre-order it here. You can find him on Instagram @bornimusic.
Hailing from the Washington DC area, Born I is an artist holding space at the intersection of Hip Hop and Mindfulness. A lyricist who can move seamlessly through genres, Born I’s diverse influences include Wu-Tang Clan, Andre3000 and Alice Coltrane. To date, Born I’s music has received more than 20 million collective streams across platforms, with a presence in Hip Hop, EDM and Hybrid genres.
Born I is also an experienced meditation practitioner and certified teacher. He is the male voice on the popular meditation app Balance, and he leads mindfulness retreats across the country, using an emphasis on self-compassion and his music as a method of teaching. His latest album “AMIDA” is an expression of Hip Hop as a form of meditation.
In 2020, Born I released an EDM/Hip Hop album “11:11” receiving over a million streams across platforms. He followed this with the release of his autobiographical hip hop album “In This Moment” in 2021, the first offering from his newly formed label YAE (You Are Enough). The album was supported with four music videos. “In This Moment” was a Finalist for “Best Rap Album” at the Washington Area Music Awards (Wammies). Born I’s live show, “In This Moment: A Music & Meditation Experience” debuted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
A multi-hyphenate, Born I is also an accomplished author. His two children’s books You Are Enough and Love Your Amazing Self encourage young people to practice self compassion, mindfulness and self acceptance. He was invited to perform songs from the book Love Your Amazing Self at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
In April 2023, Born I joined the monks and nuns of Plum Village Monastery on a music and meditation tour of North America. September of the same year saw the release of Born I’s most recent Album “AMIDA”, a spiritual, Lo-Fi Hip Hop album exploring life, death and his Buddhist faith.
Whether he’s rapping over singing bowls in an art gallery (a new expression he dubbed “Hip Hop Soundbath”), sharing mindfulness with families or performing with pyrotechnics at EDC Las Vegas, Born I has a singular message: You Are Enough. His vision of bringing the worlds of hip-hop and mindfulness together expands the potential of both music and wellness, now and in the future.
Share this post