Felipe Maldonado

Upon hearing Ready to Die by The Notorious B.I.G., Felipe Joe felt fear. A vivid, wild picture of life in the streets, the album ignited what would become a lifelong love for hip-hop. Raised in Chicago with his older sister and parents, Felipe Joespent his early years obsessed with sports. After dropping out of high school at 17, he later received his GED and would go on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. My Journey Through Hip-Hop is his publishing debut.