Journalist

Rafiek George, who performs as the Philadelphia rapper Journalist, traces much of his achievement to his mother. While raising five sons she modeled the resolve and work ethic he later emulated. By middle school his ambitions were split between music and the NBA. After earning his high-school diploma in 1995 he chose the former path and began pursuing a recording contract. In the meantime he sustained himself as a public speaker and youth counselor. During his time at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia he entered several talent shows. Two years after graduation he collected his first performance fee by winning a contest at New Jersey’s Stardust Ballroom. In 1999, under the management of Julius Erving, Jr., he auditioned for Universal Records vice president Charles Suitt and joined the label’s roster alongside newer acts such as Nelly and Juvenile. When momentum failed to build he shifted to Motown, where his debut album Scribes of Life featured his take on the Patti LaBelle hit “On My Own.”