"People are missing something": Viral video rapper opens up about why he focuses on love

September 23, 2014

Writer

Below is a transcript of this segment:

Glenn: I have to tell you, now, the bowtie says differently, but I’m not down with the rap scene, but I saw this video, and I was so happy to see this. I don’t how many people I sent this to personally before we started posting it up on TheBlaze and GlennBeck.com.

I want you to meet the rapper behind it, Prince EA. He has covered some pretty heavy topics in his videos, including Ferguson and the Mike Brown shooting as well as how to best defeat the problems in the world today, and his answer is very simple, love, love one another. Prince EA joins me now. Prince, how are you? May I call you Prince or EA or Prince EA?

Prince EA: Hey, it’s just a name. Whatever you want to call it, but Prince EA is good. How are you?

Glenn: Very good, very good. Thank you for being on. Let me ask you, first of all, the motivation behind this, because, you know, just about every line in what I just heard and what I’ve seen, the whole thing, I cheer on almost every line. I’m like Yes! Yes! So what was the motivation? Where did this come from?

Prince EA: Well, honestly, before I wrote that piece, I thought about death, and as morbid as that sounds, I thought about death. And that’s something that we all have to think about. And I thought if I was going to die in a week and I had one last message to give to humanity, what would it be? And that came out. The only message worth sharing is one of love and kindness and compassion.

Beyond all of the negative things that we see, our solution is love. And I wrote it just out of love. It’s not even about me. It’s not about Prince Ea. It’s about the message. People can forget about me, but if they watch the video, and they’re changed internally, my job is done.

Glenn: Tell me about you. I mean, what is your…who are you? Where is this coming from?

Prince EA: Wow. Well, I am a 26-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri. I graduated actually with my degree in anthropology, so anthropology gave me away, a perspective on viewing the world objectively. And obviously I’m also a musician, so I combine anthropology with my music and give a lot of social analyses. But where it all comes from, honestly—

Glenn: Let me just back up here. Honestly, this is not the mainstream message, you know? You got this from your parents or something. Where is this coming from?

Prince EA: It comes from inside. It comes from me looking inside of myself. You know, I grew up on the worst part of the worst city in the world, you know, statistically, St. Louis, Missouri. I live on the north side of St. Louis, Missouri, and it just comes from me sitting alone and looking inward as what is the solution? What makes me happy? Looking at the world, what makes me happy? And it’s love, it’s peace, it’s compassion, the most basic ideas that permeate all religions, but not a lot of people seem to adopt. But it came from me looking inside, introspection.

Glenn: I have to tell you, not a lot of people even take the time to stop and look inside. You know, whenever I talk to somebody, and they’re like, “Oh no, I’m good, I’m good,” I ask them, “How long can you be in the car without the radio on?”

Prince EA: Yeah.

Glenn: You know, a lot of people, they can’t be quiet because they don’t want to think the big thoughts and the hard thoughts, and they can’t quite make things connect. I don’t know if you heard the monologue that I said beforehand before we went on, but we’re a globe, we’re a people—this is not the president. This is not politics. It’s not Washington. It’s not the Tea Party. It’s none of that stuff. This is happening all over the world, and we’re spiraling into this nightmare. And culture is leading…I can’t say…let me ask you, is culture leading the way? Are we following or are we leading?

Prince EA: Totally. It’s a combination of both, you know? It’s the culture that, you know, it’s interconnected. But I think that, you know, it’s an analogy. You want to change a tree, a tree lives on its roots, right? You change the roots, you change the tree. If you want to change the culture, you have to change the human heart, and the culture will follow. So it really is an interconnection of both, and I am an artist that wants to connect with people’s hearts because I think the individual is everything.

If you’re in a movie theater, and you don’t like the movie, you don’t go up to the movie and start beating up the TV, the projection, the TV screen, you know? You go and change the film. So I believe that in order to have external peace we have to have internal peace in ourselves before any change is possible.

Glenn: Play devil’s advocate with you.

Prince EA: Okay.

Glenn: We are a very small group of people that believe this way. You’re a small rapper. I’m a small fledgling, you know, network.

Prince EA: Yeah.

Glenn: How are we going to go against the Beyoncés—and I’m not saying they’re leaders of this, but just in that example—how are we going to go against this culture and this tidal wave? How do you survive that?

Prince EA: Very interesting…I honestly believe that deep down through all of the cultural conditioning, a lot of people are missing something in their lives, you know, they’re not truly happy. And what I offered, I mean, my video reached I think 30-something million people in 14 days. I touched something. I touched something within all humans. This transcends age. This transcends race, because I honestly think that that within everyone, that pure love, that pure consciousness, is who we really are, you know? I think that finding out who you really are is the key, and I just offered that.

You know, I didn’t want to necessarily reach that many people. I just threw that video out, and it touched so many people. And I know marketers and Jay-Z would love to have that many hits on some of his, and I’m just a guy in North St. Louis, you know, putting out random videos with my videographer, Brandon Sloan, and that’s what happened. So I think that I touched something, and when you show people that pure love, that pure compassion, they will gravitate towards it.

And I always say, you know, when you compete with no one, no one can compete with you. I’m not trying to go against Jay-Z or Beyoncé. I can only do what I can here, here and now while I’m here, and that’s it.

Glenn: Do you ever get beat down? Do you ever think to yourself this isn’t going to make a difference?

Prince EA: Honestly, I don’t worry about it. I do what I can, and I let go of the result, you know? I used to be neurotic about, you know, how many views will this get? Will this get a good response from people? Now I just let it go. I can only create art out of pure love and compassion and see what happens. So I don’t have those thoughts anymore, you know, if it’s going to be successful, if it’s going to touch people.

Glenn: May I suggest you’re going to see more success than you can possibly imagine? If that is indeed true that you have just let it go, and you’re just doing and following your heart, that’s when people become megastars. That’s when the message really connects. Because I don’t think…you know, you can fake and write evil and bad guys because most people have not seen real genuine evil in their life, you know? So it’s not real personal. But everybody at some point has seen true genuine love, and they can spot a fraud a million miles away. So I just don’t think you can fake this stuff, at least for very long. So what are you doing next?

Prince Ea: I’m continuing to release spoken word videos. I’ve got one releasing on the 29th about technology actually, so I’m excited.

Glenn: What’s your view on technology?

Prince EA: My view on technology? My view is it’s not technology’s fault. It’s our fault at the end of the day. You know, I talk about the loss of connectivity with humans and things like that, but at the end of the day, it’s about our relationship with technology that is the problem. It all comes back to ourselves, you know? It all comes back to how we live, how we react, and are we going to live our lives outwardly or are we going to live an inward existence? Because I believe the inward existence is the most fulfilling.

Glenn: I have to tell you, I don’t know how you vote, I don’t know if you even know who I am or you hate me, like me, I don’t know, but we have a lot in common, my friend, and I am very proud to have you on the show. And I hope to shake your hand someday soon. God bless you.

Prince EA: Thank you so much for having me. God bless you too.

Glenn You bet. Thank you.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The dangerous lie: Rights as government privileges, not God-given

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is Gen Z’s anger over housing driving them toward socialism?

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A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

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