Culture

This article was created in partnership with Sorin Medical

The loss of several Hip-Hop legends over the past few years has ushered in a somber spirit to the culture. As Hip-Hop turned 50, and with a constant stream of premature health tragedies, a chance encounter on Wall Street between a cardiologist, a health advocate, and a music artist led to The CHECK IN being born.

To help mitigate this ongoing health crisis in the culture, Dr. Joseph A. Puma of Sorin Medical, Health Advocate and Media Personality Kenya Gipson (Coach Kenya), and rapper, Maino decided to tackle some of the disparities in care affecting communities of color “head on” by creating a platform that’s both entertaining and informative. It’s designed to empower individuals everywhere to take the fate of their health into their own hands through a preventative approach. Since most health situations can be treated and avoided if detected early, the program aims to ease some of the anxieties faced daily when it comes to understanding and learning about one’s health to make informed and educated decisions. 

How is The CHECK IN – Hip-Hop’s first health platform – different from other platforms in the space?

The CHECK IN is Hip-Hop’s first health and wellness platform designed, from inception, to change and save lives. By telling real stories of hip-hop artists and others in the game, The CHECK IN educates and informs in an entertaining way. One particular episode features artist and rapper Lady Luck, who had life-threateningly low blood counts that required four blood transfusions; these low counts were caused by chronic bleeding from uterine fibroids, which affect three in five women of color by age 50. Had she waited to connect with Dr. Puma, she would have run the risk of an extremely dangerous and potentially negative outcome. Hearing first-hand accounts from artists and executives in the hip-hop world in this program will highlight symptoms and diseases viewers have possibly never heard of, so they can seek out testing and treatments that could benefit themselves. For example, many signs of coronary artery disease can be missed using traditional diagnostic and stress tests. The advanced CT scan technology is a three-minute, non-invasive test that captures images of the heart and prostate in men, and fibroids in women. With education and awareness, we can reduce the morbidity and mortality of common illnesses that afflict the community.         

What will people experience from The CHECK IN?

Authenticity. Each story featured on The CHECK IN has a unique background and covers real-life health scenarios with real-time solutions. The audience will immediately be able to understand these and relate to themselves and their family in order to take a positive step towards addressing their health. The goal of each story is to create healthier, more positive outcomes in communities of color.

For example, Steven “DJ Suss One” Sussman, a beloved radio DJ in the game who can be heard spinning across the airwaves and on The Sherri Shepherd Show, lost a loved one to heart disease. Like many of us who have lost a parent, it’s critical to consider the genetic connection to diseases. That’s what led him to The CHECK IN, where he underwent Sorin’s state-of-the-art Heart Scan that provides patients with HeartFlow’s AI software imaging technology so they can see firsthand how their heart is functioning. 

Another story told on The CHECK IN is of music moguls like Dame Dash, founder of The America Nu Network, and his journey with Type 1 diabetes since age 15, and also explores the story of music executive Steve Lobel, who shares his recent encounter with a debilitating and near death health scare from prostate enlargement.

The CHECK IN is Hip-Hop, stories, health, and healing all rolled into one platform. Dr. Puma, Coach Kenya, and Maino are bringing the conversation of Hip-Hop and Health to the mainstream. Hopefully, by highlighting all of the resources available to the community and having some of Hip-Hop’s biggest players share their stories, we can help catch health complications early and prevent heart disease where possible, especially those affecting communities of color. To find out more about The CHECK IN and to see their latest episode, you can click here.

Connect: @sorinmedicalny @mainohustlehard @coachkenya