Steven Hager is known for his long association with High Times magazine.
17 Facts About Steven Hager
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Steven Hager obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater, and a Masters of Science in Journalism, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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Steven Hager based his article on interviews with Afrika Bambaataa, founder of the Universal Zulu Nation, and one of the three original hip hop DJs.
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Not too long afterward, Steven Hager sold his original story, "The Perfect Beat," to Harry Belafonte, who took some elements from it, including the subject and some of the characters' names, to produce the film Beat Street, released by Orion Pictures in 1984.
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In 1984, St Martin's Press released Steven Hager's groundbreaking book, Hip Hop: The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and Graffiti.
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Steven Hager followed that book in 1986 with Art After Midnight, an examination of the New York nightclub scene and its influence on artists, primarily Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf.
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In 1988, Steven Hager began a long relationship with High Times magazine, as he was hired as the magazine's editor-in-chief.
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Steven Hager became the first editor to publish and promote the work of hemp activist Jack Herer.
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Steven Hager created a garage rock revival band called the Soul Assassins.
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In September 1991, Hager wrote an article in High Times titled "Heritage of Stone," a comprehensive analysis of the assassination of John F Kennedy that has been widely circulated on the Internet as a definitive article on the subject.
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Steven Hager created the Counterculture Hall of Fame in 1997 as part of the Cannabis Cup ceremonies.
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Steven Hager was again let go by the magazine in 2013, eventually suing High Times for defrauding him of his ownership shares in the company.
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Steven Hager learned to shoot and edit video, and started documenting all research on videotape.
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Steven Hager has produced several feature documentaries, including Let Freedom Ring, Secrets of the Dutch Grow Masters, The Cannabis Cup, Saint Stephen, The Tom Forcade Story, and The 20th Cannabis Cup, assembling one of the world's largest archives of cannabis-related video.
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Steven Hager appears in the 2013 film 420: The Documentary and provides the history of the phrase and its ceremonial use, as well as his role in spreading awareness on the spiritual aspects of cannabis.
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In December, 2023, Steven Hager announced the creation of a peace sanctuary and festival site to be created in the Catskills.
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On January 1,2025, Steven Hager released an expose on his history with High Times magazine that details the actions of the lawyer who was running the company.