Meet the Bay Area Rappers Who Want You to Eat a Salad – KQED

Report on Hip-Hop Culture’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of Stunnaman02

1.0 Executive Summary

This report analyzes the work of musical artist Jordan Gomes, professionally known as Stunnaman02, and its alignment with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through his music, public persona, and entrepreneurial ventures, Gomes actively promotes improved health, nutrition, and sustainable community partnerships. His initiatives directly contribute to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by leveraging cultural influence to advocate for healthier lifestyles and responsible consumption.

2.0 Promotion of Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3)

Gomes’s work serves as a significant cultural vehicle for promoting healthy lifestyles, a key target of SDG 3. His musical releases function as educational tools for nutritional awareness.

• Musical Composition: “Eat a Salad” (2024)
  1. The lyrics explicitly advocate for the consumption of fresh, nutritious ingredients such as “lemon, lime, honey … agave if you’re vegan.”
  2. Promotional activities included social media videos where the artist demonstrated recipes for various salads, effectively disseminating practical health information.
• Musical Composition: “Veggies”
  1. The lyrics detail the specific health benefits of various foods, contributing to public health education.
  2. Examples include the antioxidant properties of cacao and the digestive benefits of turmeric and ginger.
• Personal Advocacy
  • Gomes’s focus on nutrition is rooted in personal health challenges, including eczema and weight management, lending authenticity to his message.
  • He has cultivated a public image comparable to a wellness advocate, reinforcing the importance of physical well-being.

3.0 Advancing Zero Hunger and Nutritional Awareness (SDG 2)

The artist’s platform is utilized to address Target 2.2 of SDG 2, which aims to end all forms of malnutrition. By making nutritious food appealing and accessible to his audience, he contributes to improved dietary choices.

• Emphasis on Nutrient-Rich Foods: The core message encourages the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, which is fundamental to combating malnutrition and ensuring access to safe, nutritious food.
• Cultural Relevance: By integrating themes of healthy eating into the hip-hop genre, Gomes makes nutritional information more accessible and relatable to a diverse demographic, particularly younger audiences.
• Educational Content: His lyrical content and promotional videos serve as an informal educational resource on the benefits of a balanced diet.

4.0 Fostering Sustainable Communities and Partnerships (SDG 11 & SDG 17)

Gomes has engaged in several local business collaborations, exemplifying the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) and contributing to the economic vitality of his community, in line with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Collaboration with Cali’s Sports Bar:
  • Developed a signature salad designed with ingredients that do not trigger the artist’s eczema, promoting awareness of diet-related health conditions.
  • This partnership supports a local enterprise while expanding the availability of healthy food options.
• Partnership with Square Pie Guys:
  • Co-created a “salad pizza,” demonstrating innovative approaches to integrating healthier ingredients into popular food items.
• Entrepreneurial Ventures:
  • The establishment of a personal juice brand further promotes the consumption of fresh produce and supports local supply chains.

5.0 Cultural Context and Historical Precedents

The current movement led by figures like Stunnaman02 builds upon a history of health consciousness within hip-hop culture, often linked to principles of self-knowledge and community empowerment.

• Personal Background: Gomes’s advocacy is informed by his upbringing, which emphasized “knowledge of self” and cultural heritage, including his Narragansett Native American and Angolan ancestry.
• Historical Influences in Hip-Hop:
  1. Five Percent Nation: Early teachings promoted vegetarianism and avoidance of processed foods, influencing artists like KRS-One and Rakim.
  2. A Tribe Called Quest: Their 1990s track “Ham n Eggs” addressed the challenges of moving away from high-cholesterol diets toward healthier choices.
  3. Dead Prez: The 2001 song “Be Healthy” was a direct anthem for nutritious eating and physical fitness.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues and actions that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus on health, nutrition, and awareness connects to the following goals:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: While not addressing hunger in terms of food scarcity, the article strongly focuses on the nutritional aspect of this goal, specifically ending malnutrition and promoting healthy diets. Stunnaman’s music and business ventures are centered on encouraging the consumption of nutritious foods like fresh vegetables and fruits.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The rapper’s personal motivation stems from his own health struggles with eczema and weight, and his work aims to promote healthier lifestyles to prevent diet-related health issues. His songs explicitly name the health benefits of various foods, directly contributing to health promotion and disease prevention.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The article touches upon this goal by showcasing efforts to raise awareness about healthy and sustainable lifestyles. Stunnaman acts as an influencer who provides his audience with “relevant information and awareness” about making better food choices, thereby promoting more responsible consumption patterns.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the specific actions and themes discussed, the following SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 2.2: By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons.
   • Explanation: The article’s core theme is the promotion of a nutritious diet. Stunnaman’s songs “Eat a Salad” and “Veggies” and his signature salad are direct efforts to combat poor nutrition by encouraging the consumption of “leafy greens,” “fresh ingredients,” and other healthy foods. This aligns with the broader goal of ending malnutrition by improving dietary quality.
2. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Explanation: The rapper’s focus on nutrition is a direct response to his personal “struggles with his eczema and his weight,” which are non-communicable health conditions. By promoting diets rich in antioxidants (“nibble on cacao”) and anti-inflammatory ingredients (“Turmeric with the ginger”), he is advocating for a preventative approach to health that can reduce the risk of various non-communicable diseases.
3. Target 12.8: By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.
   • Explanation: Stunnaman uses his platform as a rapper and “hip-hop health influencer” to educate his audience. He posts “videos of himself performing custom verses that were essentially recipes” and creates music videos in grocery stores to name the “benefits of various fruits, vegetables and spices.” This is a clear example of disseminating information to promote healthier and more conscious lifestyles.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not provide quantitative data, but it implies several qualitative and activity-based indicators that can measure progress:

• Indicators for Target 2.2 (End Malnutrition):
  • Promotion of nutritious foods: The article explicitly mentions the promotion of specific healthy ingredients such as “lemon, lime, honey,” “agave,” “quinoa,” “cacao,” “turmeric,” and “ginger.” The creation and marketing of a signature salad featuring “romaine lettuce and arugula” serves as a tangible indicator of efforts to improve nutritional intake.
  • Development of healthy food products: The launch of a signature salad at Cali’s Sports Bar, a juice brand (“Big02Juice”), and a “salad pizza” collaboration are measurable outputs aimed at making healthy options more accessible and appealing.
• Indicators for Target 3.4 (Reduce Non-Communicable Diseases):
  • Public awareness campaigns on healthy diets: The release of songs like “Eat a Salad” and “Veggies” with lyrics detailing the health benefits of food can be seen as an indicator of public health promotion through popular culture.
  • Creation of health-specific food options: The signature salad was specifically “made with ingredients that don’t trigger the rapper’s eczema,” indicating a targeted effort to create food that helps manage or prevent specific health conditions.
• Indicators for Target 12.8 (Information and Awareness for Sustainable Lifestyles):
  • Educational content creation and dissemination: The social media videos demonstrating salad recipes and the music videos shot in produce aisles are direct indicators of educational outreach. The reach and engagement of these videos could be a metric for measuring the spread of awareness.
  • Partnerships to promote healthy consumption: The collaborations with local businesses like Cali’s Sports Bar and Square Pie Guys are indicators of a broader effort to integrate and promote healthy lifestyle choices within the community.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: kqed.org