A New Rhythm for Health: Dr. Khaalisha Ajala Fuses Hip-Hop and Medicine
Dr. Khaalisha Ajala isn’t your typical physician. While she’s a board-certified assistant professor of hospital medicine at Emory School of Medicine/Grady Memorial Hospital, she’s also a dedicated hip-hop enthusiast and a DJ. She channels both passions into a powerful mission with her nonprofit, Heartbeats & HipHop, Inc. (HBHH), proving that healing can be found not just in hospitals but also in the beat of a drum machine and the power of a microphone.
From Baltimore Streets to the Bedside
Dr. Ajala’s story is a testament to the transformative power of her two loves: medicine and hip-hop. Raised in Baltimore, she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of addiction, crime, and health disparities. Her mother, a nurse for over 30 years and a fellow hip-hop head, introduced her to the music of Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC, while also filling their home with medical books. This unique environment sparked in young Khaalisha the idea of using medicine as her own form of activism.
She began connecting her favorite artists with the health battles they faced, a practice that would later become a cornerstone of her educational work. For her, hip-hop icons weren’t just entertainers; they were human beings with real medical stories. The passing of Eazy-E from an AIDS-related illness and the struggles of JDilla, Phife Dawg, and Kanye West taught her that her heroes weren’t immortal and their stories offered valuable lessons.
Heartbeats & HipHop: Bridging the Gap
Dr. Ajala founded Heartbeats & HipHop, Inc. to address the deep-seated mistrust between communities of color and the medical system. HBHH takes medicine out of the hospital and into the community, using the universal language of hip-hop to empower people.
“We bring young doctors and other medical professionals of color out in the community and away from their offices and bedside rounds,” she explains.
HBHH hosts pop-up street clinics in partnership with the Fulton County Department of Health, offering free screenings for HIV and hypertension, as well as resources for mammograms, Pap smears, and colon cancer screenings. The organization also hosts events like “Stillmatic Yoga,” charity bike rides, and hip-hop karaoke to get people moving and connect them with local medical professionals in a fun, non-intimidating way.
“I try to help others keep on living,” she says. “This is how I fight back. This is how I show that lives matter.”
Defying Expectations and Inspiring the Next Generation
Dr. Ajala’s journey has been anything but easy. Despite the growing number of women in medicine, she still faces assumptions about her identity, often being mistaken for a nurse or a different member of the care team. She sees this as a challenge and an opportunity to change the face of medicine.
She believes in the power of mentorship and encourages aspiring professionals to be bold and proactive. As a young woman, she volunteered at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and built a relationship with a cardiologist who became her mentor and wrote her a medical school recommendation. Her advice is simple: “Walk up to them and introduce yourself, email them or even volunteer to work at their company or office.”
By blending her roles as a physician, a DJ, and a community advocate, Dr. Khaalisha Ajala is creating a new rhythm for health—one where medicine is approachable, education is relatable, and empowerment is the ultimate goal.
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