I'm a Hiphop artist currently working in the Los Angeles foster care system as a social work investigator. Focused on community empowerment and healing families, I’ve been studying early childhood growth and development for the past 5 years. The ugly truth about society is that there is a staggering amount of abuse held in silence. Unfortunately, it is typical for the abused to become an abuser. This project is about getting to the root of issues and gaining control of cycles. It highlights unwanted behaviors as symptoms rather than illnesses, and focuses on the huge gray area between the black and white of victims and villains. The Sound of Silence album is one facet of this three-part project. It is the coming of age tale of Calvin Lloyd. Calvin, a teenage rapper, pursues his dreams of success while wrestling with the dysfunction of his family. He journeys through hills and valleys of relationships to discover stardom is not the answer to his troubles. He learns to use self-reflecting and discipline to find happiness. The second side to the project is the book, Under the Influence. Under the Influence uses the Sound of Silence story as a case study. It decodes all of the lyrics and explores the behavioral theories that inspired them. Under the Influence also includes footnotes and references to inspire readers to do more research. Lastly, there is the Sound of Silence play. Created with the help of Mia Styles, community arts activist and founder of B-Girl Media, it meshes the journey of Calvin Lloyd with a young woman’s quest to find her true identity. The 6-person multi media performance incorporates visual art, music, dance, video, and poetry to tell a Universal story of healing.