Earl Hopkins is an award-winning arts and culture reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, focusing on the institutions and trailblazers shaping the region’s identity. His upcoming book, Raps of Resistance: How Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Reignited a Hip-Hop Tradition, is scheduled for a May 2026 release under Bloomsbury Publishing (US).
A native of Columbus, Ohio, Earl graduated from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in May 2019. After graduating from OU, he worked as an education and family issues reporter for the Evansville Courier & Press before transitioning to arts and entertainment coverage. He went on to cover food, music, film, and fashion as an at-large culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman and The Columbus Dispatch.
Earl is also the co-host of the music review podcast Rap & Reason and a sought-after freelance writer, who’s contributed music reviews, history guides, and event coverage for Billboard, Complex, GRAMMY.com, MTV News, Stereogum, SPIN Magazine, UPROXX, and other digital platforms.
Earl is an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists, and NABJ Philadelphia. He’s also a noted public speaker and guest lecturer, who’s been called to discuss the fundamentals of digital reporting, source tracking, brand building, and the state of the freelance economy. His latest appearances include Temple University, the University of Oregon, Belmont University, and the University of Texas at Austin.