Elevated Conversations

In Episode 26 of Elevated Conversations I had the pleasure of interviewing Baha'i-inspired hip hop artist jeph.ilosopher about his latest album "CANCEL.CULTURE.SHOCK".I have followed jeph.ilosopher's music for several years, but we only recently connected personally, and this interview was actually our first face-to-face conversation (albeit digitally)! We explored his journey as a Baha'i, his creative process as an artist, and unpacked the inspiration behind his new album!The new album explores the concepts of "cancel culture" and "culture shock" from a musical and lyrical level through a number of intellectually stirring songs. It was mentally and spiritually elevating to take a deeper dive into the project and jeph.ilosopher's creative mind!To listen to CANCEL.CULTURE.SHOCK:https://album.link/s/210MGOX70C1CxJarLaJquQTo follow jeph.ilosopher on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/jephiloso/

In Episode 25 of Elevated Conversations, I reflect on my experience teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic with my dear friend, and fellow teacher, Ivan Enriquez.Ivan and I taught middle school this past school year at ACCLAIM Academy, a charter school in West Phoenix. Ivan was the social studies teacher, while I taught writing.We reflect on our experience, discuss education, the period of youth, our friendship, and more!

Episode 24 of Elevated Conversations is a special one! The Baha'i-inspired artists collective "FRMWRK" recently released its debut music project, featuring 4 amazing songs!In this interview, we have the whole crew from the song "As One Become" share the story behind the song, break down the creative process, and lots of other elevated reflections!"As One Become" centers on an Indigenous voice, the amazing Roman Orona. Roman raps the chorus of the song, and also starts and finishes the track with words of inspiration in Apache and English. The song also features some fire rap verses from Ahdi (who raps in Persian), Emiliano, and myself. The beat was produced by Yechan, who sampled Roman chanting as the baseline for the instrumental. There were also a bunch of other talented people who contributed to the project (recording, mixing, mastering, album art, etc), so it was truly a collective endeavor!There are 3 other amazing tracks on this first FRMWRK project, “Fabric”, “Where R U?”, and “Let’s Talk”. To listen to the rest of the debut project by FRMWRK:https://ampl.ink/2LwKbTo follow FRMWRK on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/frmwrkmusic/To follow the artists featured on "As One Become":Roman Orona:https://www.instagram.com/romanorona/Ahdihttps://www.instagram.com/ahdimusic/Diversoulhttps://www.instagram.com/emiliano.diversoul/Yechan Yunhttps://www.instagram.com/yechan.yun/Colby Jeffershttps://www.instagram.com/colbyjeffers/

In episode 23, I interview up-and-coming rapper, Gruffy, about our new song "Vibe". Vibe is a chill and uplifting hip hop track focused on story telling and positivity. In the interview, Gruffy (aka Noah Salomon) and I discuss the story behind the song, how we met, Gruffy's journey and aspirations as an artist and vegan, as well as many other elevated themes!Noah is truly and amazing young man, so this song and interview were an absolute pleasure!To stream "Vibe":https://soundcloud.com/gruff_frvr/vibeTo connect with Gruffy:https://www.instagram.com/gruff_frvr/

In episode 22, I interview my dear friend and musical collaborator, AWU Sing Song. AWU is a budding music superstar from Cameroon, Africa. But before AWU was making hit singles like "YaYaYo" and "If A Can, Can", we collaborated on "Change The World", a song, video, and album project created to uplift, educate, and inspire humanity to make a positive change in the world.In our interview, AWU and I share the story of how we met in Cameroon back in 2012, and the divinely guided steps that led us to create "Change The World". AWU also shares about his various musical projects since then, as well as what it's like to be an independent artist trying to finance your own musical productions.If you are listening to this podcast prior to 1/24/2021, I am currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund my new album,"Created Noble", which centers on my experiences as a husband, father, and contributor to the betterment of the world, through the lens of the virtue of nobility. All funds collected beyond the minimum funding goal will be directed to AWU and his debut solo album, which seeks to highlight the Cameroonian musical genre of Makossa and bring it to the world.To learn more about the Kickstarter campaign, or to make a contribution, visit:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/colbyjeffers/colby-jeffers-5th-hip-hop-album-relaunchTo connect with AWU on social media, or listen to his music:https://www.instagram.com/awusingsong/https://www.facebook.com/awusingsonghttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBeSCsxRuyEk5MStoWZyddA

In Episode 21 of Elevated Conversations I stumbled into fellow podcaster, Wyatt Morgano! Wyatt hosts a podcast called "Inner Sight", which focuses on tapping into our spiritual perception through deep and meaningful conversations with friends Wyatt has met in his efforts to be of service to humanity and contribute to the betterment of the world.Our two podcasts bumped together on the interwebs and so we decided to co-interview each other! We discussed our friendship, why we started podcasting, serving the community, music, racial justice, and more!To check out Wyatt's "Inner Sight" podcast, go here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHy5YQutRXd85P15Adi611g

November 19th, 2020 was a special day! It marked the release of "Nothing But Love", a musical collaboration between myself and my young homies W.ill and Brian.! In addition, it was also Will's 18th's birthday!What makes this song so special to me is that I have known Will and Brian since they were in middle school. We were all part of a community junior youth empowerment group that I helped mentor in the Sunnyslope neighborhood here in Phoenix, Arizona. They both stuck with the group until its completion and continue to be active in community building efforts to this day! I can honestly say they are now two of my closest friends!"Nothing But Love" was actually written at a youth empowerment training through the Ruhi Institute in the summer of 2018, but we didn't get around to getting it professionally produced until this year. Will's 18th birthday gave us the added motivation to get the song out to the world! We also felt that, with this year having so many challenges, it would hopefully bring people a bit of joy to their hearts... ❤️In episode 20 of Elevated Conversations, W.ill, Brian., and myself share the story behind the song, as well as our journey as friends through the junior youth spiritual empowerment program. We hope it brings you some inspiration!If you have not yet had a chance to listen to Nothing But Love, I suggest to check it out before listening to the interview! You can stream it on your preferred streaming platform using the link below:https://fanlink.to/nothingbutloveYou can also check out a fun little skit we put together for the song here: https://youtu.be/MI4U0Nq6b-4

On October 28th, 2020, my wife Mallory birthed our newborn son, Justice Michael Justice. Like with our first son, Noble, Mallory made the choice to do an all natural home birth. We also utilized the Bradley Method of natural childbirth, which places the partner (myself) in the role of coach.Many people have asked us to share more about our birth story, so we thought it would be fun to record it in the form of a podcast episode. We recount the 9 months of preparation leading up the Justice's birth, the highlights of the labor and birth, the background behind his name, and other interesting tidbits related to child birth. We hope you find it insightful, inspiring, and elevated!For more information on the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth:http://www.bradleybirth.com/

In Episode 18, I bring back Emiliano "Diversoul" Morondos to unpack his latest album Baseline.Flowers.Diversoul is a Baha'i, emcee, Branch Director of the Gila River Komatke Boys and Girls Club, husband, and father, among many other things. His current focus is urgently railing against the superficial, disease of materialism, and systems of oppression. Clearly, he is an amazing dude!In this interview, Emiliano and I discuss the inspiration behind the Baseline.Flowers album, his experience serving in the the Gila River community, and many other spiritually elevated topics!You can connect with Diversoul at:CONTACT.DIVERSOUL@GMAIL.COM602.620.5331WWW.SOCIALCENTRIC.COInstagramFacebookAction Items:Stream the Baseline.Flowers album here:https://ampl.ink/j4QD2

What is racial prejudice? And how do we free ourselves from it? In Episode 17 of Elevated Conversations, I explore these questions with my good friend, Edward Peace, host of the new program "Ramblings of a Trying Baha'i".This episode was actually part 2 of a conversation that unpacked some key concepts from the book "Advent of Divine Justice", a lengthy letter written by the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, Shoghi Effendi, written to the Baha'is of North America in 1938. Part 1 of the conversation can be found on "Ramblings of a Trying Baha'i", which is published on YouTube and IGTV (see links below):Ramblings of a Trying Baha'i (YouTube):https://youtu.be/xN5PTiLvnJwRamblings of a Trying Baha'i (IGTV):https://www.instagram.com/edwardpeaceishere/To read "Advent of Divine Justice", use the following link:https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/advent-divine-justice/1#862028771

“In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.Those are the words that inspired Andrea Hope's powerful new poem and book "Will You Break The Silence?: Poetic Practical Steps Toward Race Unity". It's a passionate call from a Black voice to friends in the white community to break the silence and speak out on matters of racial injustice.In light of the recent surge for racial justice across the United States and around the world in response to the unjust murder of George Floyd, among several other members of the Black community, Andrea has felt called to reach out to members of the white community and encourage them to take action. "Will You Break The Silence?" lays out a beginner's manual for taking action in poetic form.In Episode 16 of Elevated Conversations, we explore Andrea's journey as a poet and the inspiration behind her powerful and inspiring poem.You can purchase a copy of Andrea's poem as a physical book, which also includes compelling black and white graphics using the link below:Will You Break The Silence? on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089M43484/For future updates on Andrea's amazing poetry, be sure to follow her on social media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andreahope.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreahopethepoet/To listen to Andrea's podcast "To Mother", use this link:https://pod.link/1502412825

In Episode 15, I interview a very special person! Brian Roth. My best friend, best man in my wedding, and camera man behind all of my music videos. Brian and I discuss the concept of nobility. What does it mean to be "noble"? What are the challenges of being noble? How do we see nobility expressed in the arts?This is the first episode in a special series of "Elevated Conversations" that is focused on the theme of nobility, inspired by my upcoming album "Created Noble". In the series, I interview special people in my life who have particularly influenced me in my creative journey as an artist.I am also currently running a crowdfunding campaign through Kickstarter to fund the production of the "Created Noble" album. To learn more about the project, or to help fund the album, you can visit the Kickstarter page here:https://bit.ly/colbykickstarter

Ever stopped to ponder on whether the music we consume, promote, and create accurately reflects the type of society we want to live in?In Episode 14 of Elevated Conversations, I explore this important question with the amazingly talented and inspiring Baha'i-inspired musician, Shadi Toloui-Wallace, as she shared about an exciting new project she is working on called "Media For Transformation"."Media For Transformation" is a social action initiative inspired by the Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program. The project recognizes the powerful influence of media in society and is motivated to create positive content that contributes to the moral and spiritual empowerment and development of youth aged 11-14.Media For Transformation has created 5 "sessions" worth of this positive music content, which can be streamed wherever you listen to music.Shadi Toloui-Wallace has released four internationally acclaimed albums - Leather Bound Book (2009), Verdant Isle (2011), Daughters of the Kingdom (2016) and most recently Radiant Heart (2019). Shadi states that she "draws inspiration from her spiritual beliefs, honest reflections, creative collaborations, travels and service opportunities, Shadi’s music transcends cultures, languages and generations, and continues speak to the hearts and minds of all who hear it."Links:Media For Transformation:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnJ7sSyS44Go2NKlQmr8elAhttps://open.spotify.com/artist/20dYwT26HMUhe8FkBNk6Bqhttps://soundcloud.com/mediafortransformationShadi Toloui-Wallace:http://www.shaditolouiwallace.com/Release The Power Albumhttps://album.link/us/i/1460040872Baha'i Hip Hop - Spotify Playlisthttps://hypeddit.com/link/9ohhip

Another fun Q&A session where I take questions from listeners and speak on them!The questions for this episode centered on the current COVID-19 situation, future musical projects and collaborations, as well as the current length of my beard!To submit your questions for future podcasts, message or email me at:https://www.facebook.com/colbyjeffersmusic/https://www.instagram.com/colbyjeffers/colbyjeffersmusic@gmail.com

What type of music would a Baha'i-inspired rapper born in Tanzania create while serving at the Baha'i World Center in Haifa, Israel?In Episode 12, I'll answer that question as we go international to interview Baha'i-inspired rapper Randy'd'dawn about his album "New Day".Randy also discusses his journey as a Baha'i-inspired rapper, what draws him to create music, and the process behind his latest album, New Day.Action Items:Watch the "Prophets" music video:https://youtu.be/GIpLYHmK2PYStream the New Day album here:https://album.link/i/1466243761Connect with Randy'd'dawnl:https://www.instagram.com/tzrandyddawn/

In Episode 11, I interview a mentor and inspiration of mine, Baha’i-inspired rapper, Emiliano "Diversoul" Morondos, about his new album The 7 Cities, inspired by the book The Seven Valleys written by Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Baha'i Faith.Emiliano discusses his journey as a Baha'i-inspired rapper, and shares the top insights he gleaned from the nine year process of creating the album.Hip Hop artist and Emcee “DVRSL” (Diversoul) has been a participant in Hip Hop culture for 20+ years. Representing Wailuku Hi., Skokie Il., Arivaca, Tucson and Phoenix Az.Time and experience, world travel and touring, poetry, paid dues and performance are markers and milestones that distinguish DVRSL.In 2020 DVRSL’s SoulSlam stage show is an organic experience, a fun, unique, and informative experiment in community building. DVRSL embodies the art of emceeing, connecting with audiences, and empowering their courage and capacity.You can contact Diversoul at:CONTACT.DIVERSOUL@GMAIL.COM602.620.5331WWW.SOCIALCENTRIC.COInstagramAction Items:Stream the The 7 Cities album here:https://fanlink.to/the7citiesRead The Seven Valleys by Baháʼu'lláhhttps://www.bahai.org/bahaullah/articles-resources/from-seven-valleys

In Episode 10, I interview my good friend and fellow Baha’i-inspired rapper, Karim Rushdy, about his new album Thief In The Night.Karim discusses the inspiration behind the album, some of the biggest challenges of completing it, as well as some of the most joyful moments of creating the album.Action Items:Stream the Thief In The Night album, here.Connect with Karim: Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Episode 9 is a special Valentine's Day edition of the Elevated Conversations podcast. I discuss the word "love" with my amazing wife, Mallory!Mallory and I explore the definition of love, some Baha'i Writings about love, and the 5 Love Languages.Action Items:Take the 5 Love Languages Quiz:https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/Find an inspiring quote about love:https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/search#q=loveRead about love, and other virtues, on the Virtues Project:https://virtuesproject.com/Connect with Mallory:https://www.instagram.com/mally_q/

In episode 8, I break down my 5 tips on how to write more inspiring rap lyrics! Here is the list:1) Find a deep sense of purpose and motivation2) Read inspiring material connected to your song content3) Start your writing process by brainstorming4) Study other inspiring rappers5) Rap about your personal experienceAction Items:Rappers: go write a rap verse with the goal of inspiring someoneOther artists: go create something with the goal of inspiring someone“Non” artists: go do something today with the goal of inspiring someoneSome of the artists/content referenced in today's episode:5 Tips for Writings More Inspiring Rap (blog post)https://www.colbyjeffers.com/5-tips-for-writing-more-inspiring-rap-lyrics/"Treasure" music videohttps://youtu.be/E9c9DGbqWQo"Wizdome" music videohttps://youtu.be/Pr6ri1E9dlY"Release The Power" - Lyric Video Serieshttp://bit.ly/rtp-lyric-videosKarim Rushdyhttps://www.youtube.com/karimrushdy

A breakdown of the 5 Pillars of Creativity, as described by the legendary rapper Rakim in his new book Sweat the Technique: Revelations on Creativity from the Lyrical Genius.Action Steps:1) Go read "Sweat The Technique"2) Go read a book from one of the greats in your field of interest3) Go create something!To learn more about Rakim:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RakimTo purchase Sweat The Technique:https://www.amazon.com/Sweat-Technique-Lyrical-Genius-Breaks/dp/0062850237/

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2020, I share some history about Dr. King, how Dr. King inspires me in my work to contribute to positive social change, some recent tests I've had and how they helped me grow, as well as some actions steps we can all take to honor Dr. King and contribute to changing the world.Action Steps:Take some time to learn about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Read some of Dr. King's inspiring quotesListen to one of Dr. King's speechesEducate yourself on the social justice issues in your societyGo be of service and take action in your community to make a positive impact

We reached 5 episodes! To celebrate the mini-milestone, I took questions from my listeners and shared my elevated answers from the heart.Most of the questions centered on things I love, like music, service, and family - along with some other random questions like "what's my biggest fear?!". To submit your questions for future podcasts, message or email me at:https://www.facebook.com/colbyjeffersmusic/https://www.instagram.com/colbyjeffers/colbyjeffersmusic@gmail.com

Rap music is currently the most popular music genre. But what makes it so powerful?? I break it down in episode 4 of the Elevated Conversations podcast!5 Magical Powers of Rap MusicRap is worshipIt tells a more elaborate storyIt's artistic excellenceIt's diversatilityIt attracts and empowers youthAction Steps:Listen to rap music with a new lens and look for these 5 magical powers!Get a free copy of my latest album 'Release The Power', along with some dope bonus content to dive deeper into the magical powers of rap:https://www.colbyjeffers.com/release-the-power

In Episode 3, I take you through a history lesson of the sport of basketball and the Baha'i Faith world religion, focusing on 5 historical moments.5 Historical Moments in Basketball and the Baha'i Faith1) 1861 - James Naismith is born and Baha'u'llah pens the Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude)2) 1893 - Basketball's first international matches and the Baha'i Faith is first mentioned in the United States3) 1936/1937 - Basketball is first played as an Olympic medal sport and the Baha'i Faith has is first systematic teaching plan, the "7 Year Plan"4) 1946 - Formation of the National Basketball Association and the Baha'i Faith has it's second "7 Year Pan"5) 1963 - Michael Jordan is born and the supreme governing body of the Baha'i Faith, the Universal House of Justice, is first elected.Bonus) 1996 - Formation of the Woman's National Basketball Association and the start of the "4 Year Plan" of the Baha'i Faith, one in a series of plans spanning 25 years, through 2021. ReferencesThe Baha'i Faithhttps://www.bahai.org/The Kitab-i-Iqanhttps://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/bahaullah/kitab-i-iqan/1The Divine Plan of the Baha'i Faithhttps://bahaipedia.org/Divine_PlanThe Universal House of Justicehttps://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/History of Basketballhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BasketballWNBAhttps://www.wnba.com/NBAhttps://www.nba.com/Michael Jordanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan

Do human beings truly develop virtues, morals, and spiritual qualities through playing the sport of basketball? Or is basketball just a trivial pursuit and waste of time?In Episode 2 of "Elevated Conversations" I explore the Baha'i Writings; the reflections of the inventor of basketball, James Naismith; as well as my own personal experience to share how we can practically develop virtuous qualities through the sport of basketball.5 Virtues I've developed through playing basketball:ExcellenceTruthfulness/ReconciliationEncouragementHumilityContentment5 Virtues we can understand through the metaphor of basketball:Spiritual InitiativeSpiritual AgilitySpiritual AccuracySpiritual SkillSpiritual Muscle MemoryReferencesBasketball: It's Origin and Development by James Naismithhttps://www.amazon.com/Basketball-Origin-Development-James-Naismith/dp/0803283709Muscular Christianityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscular_ChristianityThe Virtues Projecthttps://virtuesproject.com/Baha'i Quotations on VirtuesBahá'u'lláh's Tablet of Wisdomhttp://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/TB/tb-10.htmlGleaning from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláhhttp://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-134.htmlParis Talks of `Abdu’l-Bahá'http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PT/pt-56.html

What does basketball have to do with spirituality? In the debut episode of my new "Elevated Conversations" podcast, I discuss 5 spiritual lessons we can learn from my favorite sport: basketball!5 spiritual lessons:You need to know the rules to succeedEveryone has different talents and strengthsCheerleaders and fans helpWe need to have a good coachPractice makes progressReferences:The Function of Sports in Life by Shoghi Effendihttps://bahai-library.com/shoghieffendi_function_sports_lifeLetter from the Universal House of Justice to the President of Brazil on the eve of the 2014 World Cup: https://news.bahai.org/story/1008/