Earl Hopkins is an award-winning arts and culture reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, focusing on the institutions and trailblazers shaping the city’s identity. His upcoming book, Conscious Rap Lives: How J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar Saved Hip-Hop, is scheduled for a Fall 2026 release under Rowman & Littlefield – an imprint of 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 music, fashion, film, and food as a culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman and The Columbus Dispatch.
Along with his daily tasks as a features reporter, Earl is the co-host of the music review podcast Rap & Reason. He's also a sought-after freelance writer, who’s contributed music reviews, history guides, and Q&As for Billboard, Complex, GRAMMY.com, MTV News, Stereogum, SPIN Magazine, UPROXX, and other national outlets.
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 event moderator and featured speaker, who’s addressed the state of the gig economy and the future of entertainment journalism with aspiring media professionals at universities across the country.