Dave "Davey D" Cook is an award-winning journalist, talk show host, professor, DJ, media justice and community activist, and iconic figure in the world of Hip Hop.
From his first involvement in Hip Hop in 1977 as an emcee for crews in the Bronx to his presentation and DJ performance “Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop” at the 2023 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), Davey D has emerged as a highly sought-after speaker at colleges, universities, cultural centers, and conferences nationwide. Whether it’s exploring Hip Hop’s impact on society or how to critically look at the media, especially in an election year, Davey D's presentations entertain, educate, and enlighten audiences wherever he goes.
Davey D is an adjunct professor at San Francisco State University, teaching courses on Black music in the 20th century and Black creative arts with an emphasis on history and intersection to politics. He also co-teaches the extremely popular course, Hip Hop, Globalization and the Politics of Identity.
As a syndicated radio personality on Hard Knock Radio (“News, Views & Hip Hop”), Davey D is renowned for his courageous inquiry into the key issues of our day, especially those facing oppressed peoples within and outside of the United States. Since co-founding the program in 1999, he has garnered numerous awards and recognition for its impact and for his role as a journalist in shaping the discourse on Hip Hop, culture, and politics.
Davey D has been prominently featured in over 35 documentary, radio, and TV shows and his writings have been published in countless magazines, newspapers, and books including Jay-Z: Essays on Hip Hop's Philosopher King (editor Julius Bailey), Be a Father to Your Child: Real Talk from Black Men on Family, Love, and Fatherhood (editor April R. Silver) and How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office (editors adrienne maree brown and William Upski Wimsatt). He also co-authored with Jeff Change the young adult edition of Can’t Stop Won’t Stop.
