For the last decade, he has directed the main source of urban cultural news and information on the Internet, dubbed "The CNN of Hip-Hop" by Public Enemy's iconic Chuck D. Creekmur has received honors from Yahoo! (2009), BET (2009), and Black Enterprise magazine's Rising Star award (2006), among others.
Creekmur was up in Newark, Delaware, and acquired an interest in hip-hop and journalism, eventually launching his own online editorial site, Tantrum Magazine.
He went to New York City after establishing an alternative African-American newspaper at the University of Delaware, where he worked as a music news producer for BET.com and freelanced for various magazines, including VIBE, The Source, and Complex.
After meeting his business partner Greg “Grouchy” Watkins at Glasgow High School in Delaware, they collaborated to become the first Black-owned outlet for Hip-Hop news and culture on the Internet.
“I realized the Internet was my venue to exhibit my writing, art work, and creative abilities to the world,” he says, “so we finally merged the two companies.” With daily content updates and wireless distribution, AllHipHop.com created a precedent, and today, 11 years later, the company has evolved beyond music to become a dynamic lifestyle platform.
Creekmur recalls how his early love of comic books sparked an interest in reading, writing, and graphic arts. Drawing is still a passion for him (along with his love of boxing), and in addition to his editorial leadership at AllHipHop.com, he also creates logos and the site's general aesthetic appeal.
"Jigsaw" takes pleasure in being a visionary who is always ahead of the curve, identifying trends and anticipating "what will happen before it happens." He got his moniker as a student because, as he puts it, "they thought I was like a jigsaw, difficult to explain." I refer to it as my saving grace since I've always looked outside the box and was ready to experiment with and attempt new ideas.” Last year, AllHipHop.com had a highly successful redesign with breakthrough features and numerous new strategic business relationships, demonstrating one of his unique concepts.
“We are always reinventing ourselves and expanding the genre. “The most recent version acts as a vessel to transport the firm into the next stage of the Internet, helping us to navigate through technological advances,” he says.
“We have effectively developed a brand that has outlasted changes in various industries while allowing us to increase our client base.” Creekmur stays modest and continually astonished by its admiration among the elite of the entertainment hierarchy as the online site continues its remarkable development.
“I'll never forget LL Cool screaming us out during a performance, and I was even more surprised to learn that Jay-Z was a regular visitor to our site,” Creekmur recalls. “Once individuals like Russell Simmons started calling us, I started to view it as a significant deal,” he says.
Simmons describes the website as "a terrific resource...accurate and timely...having a big influence on hip-hop." In 2007, Simmons co-hosted the AllHip.com Week VIP Party with Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Creekmur recalls a memorable seven days that included an all-star fashion show, seminar, and sold-out performance in Times Square.
“Seeing our brand in front of thousands of people was a fantastic moment,” he recalls. Creekmur is committed to speaking at commercial, social, and academic institutions around the country in the “spirit of community-based activism.” “We are the voice of the community,” he says, and he is looking forward to developing an official AllHipHop.com mentor program.
Several recent business initiatives, notably into the mobile and video distribution industries, demonstrate AllHipHop.com's dedication to growth. Creekmur anticipates infinite personal and professional growth. “The only limit is your imagination. “I have no limits,” he declares.
