By: Natasha Enis, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
CAMDEN, N.J. – When Maurice “The Authentic” Hayman walks into a room, the atmosphere immediately lifts. Full of energy, he takes the time to talk, joke, and remember the names of every child, making each individual feel seen.
With such a caring and effervescent nature, it comes as no surprise that he has successfully dedicated his career to service and advocacy as a singer/songwriter and director of a non-profit organization.
As a child, Hayman moved around quite frequently since his father was in the military, but he ultimately considers South Jersey home: “I have Camden roots,” he said. After attending college in North Carolina and later living in Philadelphia, Hayman moved back to New Jersey five years ago.
Hayman has always been passionate about music; for him, it’s a lifeline to truth. When he was young, the hip hop genre greatly impacted him, as it was a creative way for artists to share their story and message.
“I really studied the culture first and started writing once I was about fourteen years old,” Hayman explained. He got his first major record deal at only sixteen years old. Now after twenty years of releasing songs, Hayman has no plans to stop any time soon.
His music stands out due to the raw emotion and passion he infuses into each song.
“I got to the point where I don’t make the music for likes or views. It’s more about pouring my heart out on the paper,” Hayman said. Watching wars, individual suffering, poverty, and discrimination play out in the present-day world fuels his artistry and message. Ultimately, Hayman’s goal is to tell his story while writing lyrics that empower and inspire listeners.
Hayman’s discography can be best described as unique and distinctive.
“I’ve never cared about fitting into other people’s mold, ” he said. “I know that my personal life experiences and the things that I face are important, so musically, I don’t want to sound like or try to be anybody else.”
This mentality inspired his stage name, The Authentic.
“I know that God made me an individual and our superpowers are for all of us to be our true selves,” Hayman added.
Because of his music, Hayman was invited to perform and speak at a youth homeless shelter in Philadelphia. However, he felt that it wasn’t enough to give kids an inspirational speech and neglect to provide the steps or resources to achieve their goals. While he was already involved in supporting underprivileged individuals, the event inspired Hayman to spearhead and direct nonprofit organizations and programs to directly address the social, political, and educational needs in local communities.
Hayman founded his non-profit organization, the Authentic Minds, about twelve years ago. He invited the Philadelphia community to his first event, which was a college fair held at a local rec center with thirty colleges attending. Despite many people telling him no one would attend, the event was extremely successful, as people of all ages came for information.
“On that day seven students were accepted to college, including an elderly lady who wanted to go back to school,” Hayman said. “It showed me that if you build something within a community that doesn’t have access to resources, you can empower residents there and change the trajectory of their life.”
For the past five years, Hayman has been primarily based in Camden and continues to target underprivileged youth in the community in a variety of ways. Through the Authentic Minds, he connects and partners with local organizations to bring programs to their students. In addition to hosting college fairs, he runs the Camden Youth Arts Festival, Lego Days, and various donations and workshops. He is the program development director of the Bridges Team program, which hosts fun activities and prepares teens for college and future careers.
Recently, he has been focusing on curriculum and workshops that extend over a longer period of time.
“It’s one thing to come in one day and let kids play with Legos; however, it’s so much more powerful if you have a five week workshop series to consistently follow up with the student,” Hayman said. “That way I can reinforce lessons of creativity and confidence while giving the students challenges and activities to tap into their imagination.”
In the future, Hayman hopes to create a textbook of curriculums and programs that other nonprofits all over the world can utilize to encourage and empower youth to learn and find things they’re passionate about outside of school. He’s currently working with other organizations to make this a reality.
Another goal is to buy multiple commercial style buildings that can function as a safe place for teens. “I want kids to have this hub where they can walk in this building and there’s ten different programs going on, with foosball tables, mini arcades, art projects,” Hayman explained.
Looking back on his career so far, Hayman reflects, “I’ve been on a roller coaster ride. I’ve lost contracts and opportunities…things might not always be a smooth paved road. But I’ve learned that when one door in my life closes, another one always opens. If you’re struggling, just keep pushing and pursuing the things that you love.”
Follow his journey of music and service on his instagram (@theauthenticminds). He uses the platform to connect, inspire, and give followers a front-row seat to his evolving projects. Additionally, stay tuned for upcoming performances and the release of his next musical project, which features artists from around the world.
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