When’s the last time you heard about a cop putting out a rap album?
Yeah, this was my first time too. I first connected with Forensic, aka @Deputy_Hookem, when several of us began trying to live up to the example that our funny cop video hero Officer Daniels was setting for us on Vine and Instagram.
In a world that can seem so judgmental and toxic, especially for law enforcement officers, it has been refreshing to see that I’m not alone in making a real, valuable effort at bridging gaps on social media between cops and those who wonder if cops can be trusted. With the prevalence of quick sound bites floating around on social media, the police interactions you see are often not based on reality, instead edited for ratings by “drive-by media.”
And with all the negativity swirling out there, it’s easy to forget that cops share something in common with every single person they serve: we are human.
That means that while we do have some metal badges on our uniforms, we are flesh and blood with real families, real hopes, dreams, and yes – real fears. And we experience every range of emotion in this job that you experience in yours. At the end of the day, we are more alike than we are different in that we both want to go see our kids play T-ball or soccer, we want to go home at the end of our shift, and we want to feel safe at night.
This is exactly why Forensic wants to use creative things like humor or his original music to help shatter the stereotype that cops are anything other than people seeking the same things as every other member in their communities. Growing up in San Diego with an older brother who loved to listen to hip-hop artists like Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Boyz II Men, Eminem, Dr. Dre, and Nelly, Forensic took a liking to what he heard and it inspired him to get creative and start writing lyrics – even though he knew nothing about music, really. And when he bought Eminem’s CD The Eminem Show, well…the rest is history.
He quickly learned to put music with the poetic lyrics he had been writing, and started recording at the ripe old age of 13. Forensic was signed with a manager at the age of 16 and ultimately was traveling to L.A. to record with something better than an old laptop and a plugged in microphone.
Life later took a detour when he decided to make sure he didn’t neglect an education, ultimately leading to his decision to become a Deputy Sheriff.
A cop coming back to his love for music, especially hip-hop/rap, and putting himself out there takes guts. He’s willing to not only sacrifice himself daily on the job as a law enforcement officer, but now put his creative work out there for everyone to judge – for better or worse – as well.
I, for one, applaud Forensic’s efforts to do what more and more cops are being inspired to do: rallying support for the work of police officers around the nation. Check out his latest single, Wolfhunter, and stay tuned for the full album this spring. In the meantime, maybe you’ll be inspired to use your creative energy alongside your work in policing. Come on in, the water’s fine!
You can purchase Forensic’s single at iTunes or Google Play.
