Ten years ago, Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince Ea, started a YouTube channel. Since then his channel has had more than 58 million views (and his Facebook page has almost 3 million likes), as people have watched and re-watched his inspirational raps, poems, and messages to people around the world. His most recent video, "Everybody Dies, But Not Everybody Lives" was published Wednesday, April 20, 2016. Two days after it was published, the video already had over 21 million views on Facebook alone. How is it that his video reached so many people in only 48 hours? Somehow, Prince Ea's words manage to pierce the heart of those who hear him.
In a time where people are desperately trying to find someone to listen to in the crazed sea of potential leaders and power plays, Prince Ea's calm voice of reason has managed to rise above the noise. What is it that makes him so prolific? What is it that he says which has people like Oprah, an inspiration to people herself, saying he has a "powerful message," and is a "visionary filmmaker"?
Prince Ea says what we don't always want to hear. He cuts to the heart of what we are trying to hide or ignore inside ourselves, and says it loud enough for the world to hear. They are often the things we most need to hear, but never have the courage to voice ourselves. But when you watch Prince Ea say them, he doesn't throw them in your face in a threatening way. Instead, he states these little dark thoughts as challenges. Do better. Be the better person you know you can be. Try. Even if you fail, try. You have one shot to live your life. Live it.
Whether he is talking about taking chances, chasing love, discarding technology, embracing people who are different from you, or supporting our earth, Prince Ea has dedicated his career to opening the minds of people all over the world, many of whom he will never even meet. But whether they know him or not people are noticing his work, and Prince Ea is on the rise. He has opened and performed alongside musicians such as Bruno Mars, has his raps featured on media platforms such as Huffington Post and Buzzfeed, and has even been a guest on talk shows of people such as Queen Latifah and Glenn Beck.
Prince Ea is a one man storm, and he shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. He is tearing apart our notions of what we are allowed to say, and is forcing us to become accountable for our own world and lives. But as his storm tears across the world, he doesn't leave a trail of destruction or annoyance. Instead, he leaves hope. Just enough hope for us to all get up and take control of our lives for ourselves.
"People don't choose dreams, dreams choose them. So the question I'm getting to, is do you have the courage to grab the dream that picked you?" -Prince Ea
