In the weeks before the first Summer Blockfest, What Hoboken Sounds Like founder Victor Manuel Lopez Jr. picked up two features.
The Hoboken Girl: 10 Hoboken + Jersey City Locals to Watch
On August 1, 2023, The Hoboken Girl named Victor one of its 10 Hoboken + Jersey City Locals To Watch in August 2023. The feature described a Hoboken resident who does it all, from content creation to graphic and fashion design, and a former rap artist whose journey began at 16. "I stumbled upon the captivating world of music and arts, and in that moment that a deep love and passion for these creative pursuits took root within me, shaping my path for a lifetime," he told the site.
As his passions developed, he recognized a "notable void" in the city: "A lack of diverse opportunities for fellow creatives left untapped potential, and I knew I had to take action." He said it would be incredibly meaningful if his experiences as a young Latino man growing up in the Hoboken Housing Projects served as a guide for others, and that as a husband and father he wanted to "show my children that I had a goal and worked towards making a positive impact in this city like it's never seen before." The business owners he looks up to: Margarita Garcia of Little Linguists, Carmelo Garcia of MotivateYou, Chris Corbin of Hive Athletic and Louis Quinones of Community Lifestyle.
Victor thanked The Hoboken Girl for highlighting what the organization stands for and "the true diversity that has been missing in this city musically and more," adding: "Nothing is impossible. Everything comes with hard work." He credited his team for believing in the initiative, including @iron.manda_, @taina.belen, @rizzyray11, @therealbigalow__yb, @tatowiththecamerallc, @djdugspin, @djbripee, @calmcoolkyle, @garciajonathan33, @garciasquared, @iam4cg, @nelynelelloco.
The Pulse with Peter B
On August 13, Victor thanked The Pulse with Peter B for having him on to talk about the origins of the organization and his team and to spotlight the festival. He shared a motto from his wife: be like a S.H.A.R.K., "Stay Humble And Remain Knowledgeable." "To believe this all started with a hashtag!" he added, with a shout-out to OD Reek. The full interview is at the link in The Pulse's bio. (WHSL noted the festival no longer had 25+ artists performing, as mentioned in the interview.)
Read more: how OD Reek inspired the WHSL name.
Follow @whathobokensoundslike on Instagram for more.