Meet Alfred Nomad | Hip Hop Artist / Community Organizer / Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alfred Nomad and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alfred, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
My upbringing began as a semi-nomadic life. I was born in D.C., and by the time I was 10 years old, I had lived in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. My mother, sister, and I moved to Indianapolis when I was 11, and I consider that place to be where I was raised. I grew up in a family-oriented environment, where I always had family around and someone available to support me. I am grateful for this blessing and know that it has shaped who I am today. Moving around a lot made me focus on building relationships with people more than places and made me less attached to things. It also fueled my curiosity to see more of the world and seek out opportunities in different places. I believe these experiences have taught me the importance of fostering community and being of service in my life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
At the root of it all, I’m an overall creative. I’ve just been able to find certain mediums that complimented me more than others at specific points in my life. I started as a visual artist but felt I was able to express myself the rawest and purest through writing. Then I fell in love with navigating that writing and storytelling to music and rhythms. As I grew, I began to find the reasons why I live and create, and now look at these creative mediums as tools to build more, and impact people more profoundly. Although I know what mediums come easiest to me, I don’t limit my creativity. I’ll follow where the creations take me.

I recently had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of an artist fellowship in Ghana with a program called OneBeat. I was able to connect with other artists from around the world who also have a higher purpose in community with their work and fully immerse myself in Ghana’s creative scene. I’m currently excited to share the creations, stories, and reflections that have been a direct reflection from that brief but magical time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is a great question. I’m someone who likes to keep things simple and have a good time. I enjoy watching movies, and I recently discovered the Alamo movie theater downtown, which offers an authentic movie experience that I appreciate. We can definitely catch a couple of movies there. If my friend appreciates art like I do, we can head to a few art exhibitions, such as The Broad and LACMA. Bookstores are also a great pastime of mine, so we could visit some of my favorites, like Tomorrow Today in my neighborhood in Chinatown or The Last Bookstore. Depending on their food preferences, we can grab some pizza at Prince Street Pizza or have breakfast at Nick’s Cafe.

It would also be great to spend some time outside at the LA Historic Park. We could attend a WalkGood yoga session, then head to the black-owned food spot Simply Wholesome for something healthy. For an evening or two, we could catch a show. There are always performances happening throughout the city. Lastly, I’m a big supporter of community spaces, so I’d love to take my friend to attend some art community events at places like Painted Brain, Junior High, SoLa, Rising Communities, The Hidden House of Jewels, and the Radical Hood Library. These are great places to learn about resources and meet those looking to make a difference in LA.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my wife Lily. I believe this relationship outside of my relationship to adulthood with my parents has shaped and molded me the most. Through my marriage, I have learned more about who I really am, how to love better, how to really listen, face the things within myself that you can’t hide as a husband, and more. She has loved me, and been with me through every accomplishment and downfall. I can’t thank her enough.

Website: https://www.alfrednomad.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alfrednomad/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alfrednomad

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqrYyLZDJEMIlUTGQkANdZg

Other: Bandcamp: https://alfrednomad.bandcamp.com/album/keep-moving-forward LxVE Collective: https://wespreadlxve.com

Image Credits
Erin Soorenko @preston35mm Desiree Coles