Akintola Hanif is the founder and editor-in-cheif of HYCIDE.
HYCIDE, the world’s widely known photography magazine, is dedicated to subculture, art and conflict.
The photography magazine explores the roles we create for ourselves and those created for us.
I challenge the status quo while bearing witness to the feared, neglected and misunderstood.
-Akintola Hanif
HYCIDE /high-side/
Origin: Hy – derived from Hebrew “Hyram” for “noble” or “exalted.” | Cide – from Latin “cida,” for “killer, killing.”
1: Noble Kiling
2: The act of killing or negating elitist ideals to create empathy, understanding for the disenfranchised or dispossessed.
Akintola’s photography and film projects have been featured in such venues as Danny Simmons Corridor Gallery, Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art and the Newark Museum.
Akintola and I first met about two years ago.
I was blessed to be introduced to Akintola. I am thankful to call him a friend and to have had the chance to spend some time with him over the past few years. We worked on a few projects together. We always got along. We always had fun. He’s a good person to surround yourself with. Nothing but positivity and continuous motivation.
As many entrepreneurs are forced to deal with adversity at one time or another, Akintola overcame mountains of obstacles to bring him and his son to the beautiful place in the world they are today. He took the road less travelled, and at this rate he’ll never have to look back.
Instead, Akintola reaches back. He maintains a strong foothold in the community as the resident documentarian for YouthBuild Newark. YouthBuild is world famous for providing disconnected youth with a nurturing, rigorous environment, relevant educational experiences, and comprehensive support services.
In early 2013, Akintola managed the production of OPENING DOORS, a film for the Annie E. Casey Foundation about disconnected youth, poverty, and opportunity.
Lucky for me, I was the video editor on the same job. I remember going to Akintola’s office in Newark one night. We had to finish the video that night. haha I can remember that night like it was yesterday. I definitely wasn’t my most productive that evening 
Creatively speaking, Akintola has a very artistic eye. I brought the raw footage down into a rough cut story. Then Akintola made it look pretty so people would actually enjoy watching it.
Akintola’s first short film, FREEDOM OR EVERYBODY DIES was produced for The Museum of African American Music.
His latest film MORAL PANIC: More Heat Than Light chronicles gang life and the challenges of prisoner reentry and was produced by the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice.
The future looks bright for Akintola Hanif. After he produced the blockbuster MORAL PANIC he left thousands of people waiting for more.
I can’t wait to see what you put together next, Akintola. Some of the world’s leading corporations such as Prudential and Red Bull are among those who commission Akintola’s work.
FireSide Podcast
I recorded my first podcast in September of this year (2013). It was a great experience and I received a lot of positive feedback. Now I’m going to ramp it up. I’m in the process of compiling a library of audio clips, videos, graphics, and written words so I can start publishing a podcast or video on Monday mornings.
I asked Akintola if he would be interested in contributing a few minutes to a podcast about life and the wisdom he has accrued. Of course he was ready and able to give a helping hand wherever he could. I think he was more interested in contributing to the podcast because another human needed help than to receive any fame or fortune. In case you were wondering, that is one of the reasons Akintola is a true entrepreneur. Sure, he supports himself through his passion and skill of art, video, and photography. We all need money to survive. I just think he’s here for something bigger though.
Here’s a two minute sneak peak from one of Akintola’s audio clips. Special thanks to Chad Robinson for taking some time to cut the sample out for us and add some awesome music too 
I’ve recently come in contact with more and more people who are struggling emotionally. Mentally. They can’t seem to find meaning from their existence. If you know this feeling then you also probably know it hits hard on Monday.
I want the Monday podcast to give listeners actionable wisdom and experienced advice to hopefully start their day and week in the right direction. To make sure this happens I began recruiting talent who will make great contributors. We now have an incredibly eclectic group of passionate humans all working towards a common good. Akintola is a driving force in this project.
I just noticed this sentence on Akintola’s website as the mission of HYCIDE:
“Stories of survival and freedom. No judgment.”
That’s exactly what I want these podcasts to be. Hey, Akintola!…what do you think about letting us use that for the podcast? Seems like the perfect title for a Monday morning podcast.
What do ya’ll think about everything? Please leave your thoughts and ideas. We’re only making this stuff so our friends and family can hopefully benefit from it at some point. If you let us know exactly what you want and need we can build those features. Don’t hesitate to leave some comments
