By: UFIRST Art Production
Some people are shaped by culture. Others shape it. Dr. Hakim Dubois has spent his entire life doing both, and the line between the two has never been something he needed to find, because he was born standing right on it.
New York Was the Classroom
To understand Dr. Hakim Dubois, you have to understand New York City, not the postcard version, but the living, breathing, block-by-block version that forged an entire generation of artists and visionaries. The New York where hip-hop was not a genre but a language. Where graffiti on a subway car was not vandalism but communication. Where the streets were the first gallery, the first studio, and the first stage.
Hakim grew up woven into that fabric. His uncle, Earl “E-LOVE” Mathias, was a foundational figure in the rise of Def Jam Recordings, longtime producer and creative partner of LL Cool J, and the man widely recognized as the silhouette behind the iconic Public Enemy logo. His godfather was LL Cool J himself. These were not names he discovered on album covers. They were family.
From that vantage point, he watched hip-hop become one of the most powerful cultural forces in history, and understood, from the inside, how a movement built on creativity, defiance, and community could reshape music, fashion, language, and global identity. That understanding did not make him passive. It made him hungry.
From the Streets to the Studio
Like many children of New York’s hip-hop golden era, Hakim’s creativity first announced itself through graffiti. But it was only the first chapter. Over time, his range expanded to poetry, music, DJing, fashion, and creative direction, until he had immersed himself in every dimension of the culture that raised him.
That philosophy eventually crystallized into DEKĀD Lifestyle, a platform that began as a magazine and evolved into a full-service global creative agency. The name is intentional. DEKĀD is the phonetic spelling of “decade,” evoking legacy and the kind of cultural relevance that outlasts trends. Clients have included Rolls-Royce, Reebok, Monster Energy, TAO Group, and the government of Barbados, a portfolio that speaks to Hakim’s rare ability to move between street credibility and boardroom fluency.
Grief as Genesis
In January 2026, the hip-hop community lost one of its unsung architects. Earl “E-LOVE” Mathias passed away suddenly in Las Vegas. For Hakim, it was devastating, and transformational.
Grief, for some people, turns inward. For Hakim Dubois, it turned outward, into action, into art, into a commitment to ensure that the legacy his uncle spent a lifetime building would not quietly fade. He chose to honor E-LOVE not with a eulogy but with an exhibition, an immersive cultural experience bringing together generations of artists shaped by New York City street culture.
The Hamptons Exhibition: A Living Memorial
That vision is taking shape as the centerpiece of the Hamptons Private Art Experience on June 7, 2026, in Southampton, New York, produced by Jason Perez and UFIRST Art Production. Featured artists include Shirt King Phade of the legendary Shirt Kings collective, alongside Vera Twins, Mdot, K Craft, DEF SONIX, and others connected to the spirit of urban art and street culture.
This is not nostalgia packaged for aesthetics. This is a living tribute, a statement that the culture which shaped generations of creatives around the world deserves to be seen, collected, and honored at the highest levels of the contemporary art world.
The Mission Behind the Movement
A portion of the exhibition’s proceeds will support E-LOVE’s planned 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a multidisciplinary arts initiative providing opportunities for aspiring low-income artists in New York City. The vision includes creative workspaces, recording studios, visual arts facilities, fashion ateliers, and professional production environments. It is the full infrastructure of a creative life, made accessible to those who have the talent but not the resources.
In this, Hakim is doing what the pioneers who raised him always did. He takes something personal and turns it into something communal. Hip-hop was built on the belief that creativity is not a privilege of the wealthy but a birthright of the human spirit. The nonprofit is that belief made institutional.
Authentic by Design
In an era when “authentic” has become one of the most overused words in marketing, Dr. Hakim Dubois represents something that cannot be manufactured. His creative identity was forged entirely from lived experience. He did not study hip-hop culture and build a brand around it. He grew up inside it, was shaped by its legends, and is now actively working to ensure its survival.
For most creatives, legacy is something you think about at the end of a career. For Dr. Hakim Dubois, also known as Mr. New York, legacy is what he builds every single day. Not as an abstraction. As an act of love.
