When one’s journey begins in a place that offers extraordinarily little solace, and seemingly endless obstacles are the norm, there are very few who would be able to accomplish as much as Yah’ki Rapha El has already achieved. Known to followers of his brand as Yah’ki Awakened, he has overcome the inevitable pitfalls of his adolescent years, which found him associating with gangs and drugs. His immersion in street life finally led to incarceration in 2009. His story is complex and beautiful at the same time, and what was a very rocky road eventually brought him to a higher place.
Yah’ki is a Master Herbalist, Lecturer, and Influencer, but all of these gifts converge in his primary role as a Spiritual and Holistic Teacher and Healer. He utilizes multiple approaches to healing, sometimes in combination, depending on what any given person may need at the time of the encounter. Yah’ki heals with crystals and Reiki (in which he is self-taught), though he is best known for his extensive knowledge in herbology and his ability to use diet and Geogenetic Therapy to treat and heal countless amounts of ‘so-called irreversible’ ailments. He conducts seminars as well and hosts a captivating podcast that enthralls its audience with the learning shared and imparted within each episode.
Defying any one label, some have broadly described Yah’ki as a ‘Gang banger and 7-time Felon turned Herbal Healer, Community Activist and a Serial Entrepreneur Multimillionaire’ – yet this barely scratches the surface of this multi-faceted persona. Yah’ki opened every door by unlocking powers of which he had been completely unaware in his earlier years, demonstrating the truth he embodies: that one need not be kept down by the dire conditions which have been ascribed to them. As one of those unique beings who can embrace their humble beginnings without allowing it to define them, Yah’ki is that person who was able to rise up and inspire those who endeavor to a higher purpose, regardless of the obstacles.
Born Alexander Hickman on July 11, 1988 in Alton, Illinois, he was primarily raised by his maternal grandmother in a house with seventeen family members, including aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. In 1994, he moved to St. Louis with his mother and siblings in the hope of accessing better opportunities and a safer environment. As a child, Yah’ki took a strong interest in science, music, math, and astrology. He would spend hours gazing into the heavens with his collection of telescopes. Although he possessed an overall high intelligence, he especially excelled in science and mathematics.
When he eventually turned his attention from school to street life and became affiliated with gangs, the trajectory of his life took a downward spiral, ending with his 2009 incarceration.
When he reached that low point during his time in prison, his mother gifted him with a preacher’s Bible. As Yah’ki increasingly studied and understood the Bible teachings, he came to the realization that his way of thinking, and his way of life, was morally deficient. This was his first real awakening. After his release, he went full throttle with his career in music, eventually becoming affiliated with G Unit Records and Def Jam. His debut album “Rebirth” gained notoriety locally in the South. He participated in a Coast-to-Coast Mixtape and collaborated with Jim Stone and J Tec. An instrumental version of his single ‘Melanin’ was featured on Insatiable, a Netflix Series.
As he found increased success with his musical career, his health began to deteriorate due to unhealthy eating habits and recreational drug use. Yah’ki suffered from diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. After having a minor heart attack, he was compelled to search for a better way. Before Yah’ki was able to realize the direction he needed to take, he began to ruminate on how he could change the situation at hand. He believes he was divinely led to Dr. Sebi, whose videos he found on youtube. Through Dr. Sebi, he discovered that any disease could be reversed given the proper environment, diet, and mindset, which prompted him to take a far deeper dive into every aspect of holistic healing. He came to understand the nature of his own being, and he began to visualize a different life, one with an intrinsic value.
His journey towards becoming an expert herbalist started out by first healing himself from the diseases that plagued his body. Drug and alcohol abuse was another challenge, which he overcame by fasting and detoxing his mind, body, and spirit. He’s shared that “Coming into the realization that I was a healer was hard for me to accept, but when I stopped caring about what others thought of me, I was able to fully walk in my purpose.” He subsequently began healing close family and friends. By now, Yah’ki was deeply immersed in natural healing modalities, yet he continued to tour and regularly perform, with his music career still on the rise. His close experience with the daily struggles of life ignited a passion within, which became the impetus to pursue the spiritual and mystical practices.
As deeply as he was connected to music, he spent an equal amount of time teaching spiritual lessons from the Bible. That began with him teaching himself the Hebrew alphabet in 48 hours. From that point on, he was spiritually hastened with a deep mystical knowledge of the scriptures. Yah’ki used his unique skill of merging biblical and ancient mystical principles into a unique scientific perspective, with which he was enabled to educate many. Along with other brothers of the faith, he taught weekly spiritual lessons to a congregation in St. Louis and worldwide via youtube.
Realizing the condition of his people was due to hard bondage, malnutrition, unhealthy diets, and lack of spiritual guidance, he’s been inspired to create a community foundation called the “Black Messiah Project.” The mission is to assimilate information to network leaders, executive directors of movements, grassroots community organizers, and any person of color that wants to create a new reality for the Black community. Yah’ki is a conspicuous force in setting a path for those who require his guidance so as to transform their lives and reach their own enlightenment. He states unequivocally that “You can change – your very existence proves that you have a purpose!”
Yah’ki has been inspired by many greats such as Dr. Sebi, Dr. Afrika, Elder Moreh Shaleem, Dr. Ben Clark, Dr. Amos N. Wilson, and a host of others. In 2016 Yah’ki started his Herbal Company, Yahki Awakened LLC, which has seen major success in healing thousands of people all over the world. Though it was started as a small basement operation, it is now a multimillion-dollar business and has become an umbrella corporation to Eye of Lotus Research Institute, Eye of Lotus Botanicals, Risen Black Messiah Coalition, Yah’ki Detoxification Home, and Go Organics. Yah’ki holds a Master Herbalist Certification from Heart of Herbs, a Detoxification Specialist Certificate from the International School of Regenerative Detoxification, and a Certificate of Attunement to the Reiki Usui System from the Center for Transformation.
Ever since his own awakening and transformation, Yah’ki has been dedicating his time to multiple initiatives, all of which inspire others to turn their lives around. His primary mission is to make a lasting difference by empowering others in a fellowship based on global unity, love, peace, and self-awareness for all, with a particular focus on Africans everywhere. When asked about his future aspirations, Yah’ki says, “I see myself and my brand getting into healing technology, medicine-less hospitals, healing therapy hotels – really changing the world and bringing peace to Mother earth and all of her children.”
Yah’ki believes he is charged with unifying his people by spreading love, positivity, and self-healing. Through his Netflix and multi-streaming platforms distribution deal along with the Yah’ki TV platform, Yah’ki Awakened Productions is committed to producing Documentaries, Melanated Health Series and Motion Pictures to both empower and entertain the community at large, while continuing to share the beauty of self-healing.
Addendum: When one is as well-known and respected in all aspects of healing and communications as is Yah’ki, there are inevitably imposters who want to duplicate or impersonate him, whether for attention or to attempt to profit off his fame. More than 70 of these nefarious social media accounts have been identified and are known to exist. We ask that when trying to contact Yah’ki Awakened, that care is taken to use only the verified
