Dr. Marlon “Doc” Fuller Teaches Monetary Fact To Youth

Hip-Hop and monetary savvy enterprise man Dr. Marlon “Doc” Fuller is on the forefront of a burgeoning motion aimed toward empowering youth and communities with the important data and instruments for monetary independence and wealth creation. Leveraging the cultural impression and mass attraction of Hip-Hop, he’s making monetary training accessible and fascinating.

Dr. Fuller, who rose from humble beginnings to turn into a revered educator, has been a staunch advocate for monetary literacy. By his nonprofit group, Coolkids.org, and modern tasks like the primary monetary literacy Hip-Hop album, The Syllabus, he’s been pioneering efforts to make monetary training interesting to younger audiences. His journey and relentless efforts spotlight the crucial significance of economic data in breaking the cycles of poverty and constructing inter-generational legacies.

Fuller follows in a protracted line of rap artists who discuss that cash discuss, and he pulls in some high-powered mates like T.I. to assist full the mission. He and his cohorts envision a future the place monetary literacy is seamlessly built-in into Hip-Hop tradition, making a legacy of information and empowerment that resonates far past the music.

AllHipHop.com: Inform me about your motion and what made you begin it?

Doc: Monetary Literacy has been a lifelong journey for me. I could also be Dr. Marlon “Doc” Fuller now, however I wasn’t at all times.  I began with very humble beginnings and was residing within the inside metropolis under the poverty line for a lot of my childhood. Once I graduated highschool I used to be residing in a trailer park exterior of Houston,  Texas with solely the cash I had saved from working odd jobs because the age of 10 to help myself.  I’m one in all 13 siblings and was the primary to graduate school, not to mention get my Doctorate, which I obtained in 2004 from the College of Connecticut. I had my first baby at 21 years previous whereas I used to be nonetheless in school, however I used to be decided to by no means return to being poor once more.

Most significantly, I needed the identical for my new child lady, Autumn, in addition to my future household, so I spent a whole lot of time educating myself on monetary literacy and surrounding myself with mentors and consultants within the subject. It was at all times necessary for me to point out up locally as somebody I want I had rising up as a result of I lacked a lot steerage that might have set me up higher in life. Not having a father in my life for 9 years and dropping 3 brothers earlier than graduating school actually impacted me.  I needed to make these life circumstances have that means through the use of that ache for function.  Quick ahead to in the present day, my 4 children, my spouse Christina, and I now train younger individuals about saving, investing, actual property, budgeting, wealth creation and cash administration by way of our non-profit, Coolkids.org.

AllHipHop: Give me your elevator pitch to a Gen Z or Gen Alpha on why monetary literacy is necessary.

Doc: Monetary literacy is one thing they don’t train you in most faculties however will probably be one of the crucial necessary elements in your future success and safety, in addition to the long run success and safety of your youngsters’s youngsters.  Monetary literacy is about being an proprietor and never a shopper.  It’s about proudly owning Nike inventory over Nike footwear. It’s the distinction between taking part in Xbox video games or proudly owning Microsoft inventory which makes Xbox.

Being financially literate is simply as a lot about proudly owning actual property and companies as it’s about giving again to the group and leaving a legacy. It’s figuring out the extra you be taught, the extra you earn and understating compound curiosity which Einstein known as the eighth surprise of the world.  Monetary literacy is making $1.1 million from investing $1 per day in shares at 10 % for 60 years versus having $25,000 saved within the financial institution doing the identical factor however solely making 0.5 % curiosity in your cash.  Being financially unbiased as an grownup begins with making smart choices as a child. This offers the youth the benefit of time which places them leaps and bounds above the remaining. 

AllHipHop: Why did you determine to make use of Hip-Hop as a car? Why not pop or one other style?

Doc: I make the most of Hip-Hop predominantly in my music as it’s cross-cultural and culturally influential. I needed to impression hundreds of thousands to lower the wealth hole and it’s the proper car for my audience. I’ve been a hip-hop fan and music lover my entire life, and I felt it was time for a melodic renaissance to uplift the messages that the youth are ingesting.  I imagine what we watch and hearken to is simply as necessary as what we eat or drink and I bought bored with ready for another person to create what I knew was wanted.  I additionally needed to accomplice with seasoned musicians and provides them a platform to showcase their Hip-Hop skills, and their data of finance and enterprise, whereas additionally making a optimistic impression on tradition and communities.  To my data, I’m the primary individual in historical past with their doctorate to place out a Hip-Hop album, or any album for that matter.  I hope that in itself conjures up the youth to dream large and by no means cease making progress in the direction of their targets particularly when strolling of their function.

AllHipHop: You might be working with some actual rappers. King Los is an unimaginable expertise and phenomenal lyricist. He actually exhibits the imaginative and prescient of how you can steadiness corny versus instructional in “How I Do That.” Have been you acutely aware of that steadiness?

Doc: King Los is without doubt one of the goats and to have him on the undertaking is an honor.  I instructed him what the aim of the undertaking was and he was like let’s make it occur.  He will probably be on my upcoming album, The Syllabus – Sophomore Yr, together with options from Kap G, Jadakiss, The Sport, Shyheim, and extra.  My first album, The Syllabus – Freshman Yr which I launched in November 2022 had some legends too with options from T.I., Keith Murray, Mickey Factz, Translee, PBD Gray, WBNA champion Essence Carson and extra.  Plenty of in the present day’s music has been hijacked by low frequency content material that’s many occasions adverse and counterproductive.  I feel a lot of the content material being pushed by file labels is corny and lacks originality or function however negativity and drama sells so labels and artist run with it.  Followers are more and more questioning what’s in it for them.  The motion is occurring and The Syllabus albums are foundational once we take a look at altering the paradigm and creating a brand new style of financially empowering music known as EduTainment. Shout out to KRS One who was the primary individual I ever heard say that phrase.

AllHipHop: You embody your daughter as nicely. How does that work? Does she wish to rap?

Doc: My 11 yr previous daughter, Layla Sol, is a beast! She is courageous, very business-minded, and has a coronary heart of gold. She may be very personable and enjoys being in entrance of individuals. Naturally, she enjoys speaking about Monetary Literacy work and has represented CoolKids.org and Jar TV at monetary literacy occasions and festivals across the nation.  My 13-year-old son Dylan and 8-year-old daughter Charlotte, had been additionally actually within the music once we began recording the primary Syllabus album and would memorize the entire lyrics. They needed to become involved with the music too, in order that they did background vocals on the primary album and have options on the second.  You may hear their solo debut on Stand on Enterprise which is the primary single from my album coming this spring known as The Syllabus- Sophomore Yr. I’m biased however I actually imagine their monitor is the best children music of all time because it’s entertaining, instructional, and empowering.

AllHipHop: Who else are you working with? 

Doc: Outdoors of music, we nonetheless educate children nearly on CoolKids.org.  Typically, we collaborate with celebrities to assist us train.  Our greatest class was with T.I. which had virtually 1,000 children on Zoom getting monetary literacy gems from him for nearly an hour.  Should you hearken to my music, Time, Effort & Power that includes T.I. then you definately’ll hear a snippet of that digital Zoom name.  To this point, my spouse Christina and I’ve educated over 22K children nationwide on monetary literacy.

We even have the world’s first youth-based monetary literacy TV app known as JAR which streams over 600 movies in each English and Spanish.  We launched it in 2022 and it’s permitting us to achieve the plenty.  Assume NetFlix however monetary literacy for teenagers in Kindergarten by way of school.

AllHipHop: Inform me in regards to the album and what’s the following appear like.

Doc: My second album is known as The Syllabus – Sophomore Yr and it’ll go deeper into monetary literacy however retains at its core the G-rated classes that listeners can be taught from.  We’re bringing this new style of music to varsities, companies, church buildings, after-school packages, and households worldwide.  Our aim is to achieve hundreds of thousands of youngsters worldwide and plant seeds that may reap advantages for generations to return.  I’ve been listening to music for many years and I can actually say that my songs are a number of the best music ever created particularly from an academic perspective. 

There are not any curse phrases, adverse imagery, or drama on the album.  It’s one thing new that you must expertise to grasp.  I’ll ultimately put out 4 albums complete all the way in which to The Syllabus – Senior Yr. 

For extra: Go to social media deal with @SyllabusAlbum or TheSyllabus.com.