What does it mean to bet on yourself, even when the odds are against you? Psychologist and rapper Malik Boykin reflects on his remarkable journey from being told he’d amount to nothing, to becoming a hip-hop artist, Ivy League professor, and resilience advocate. Through powerful storytelling and lyrical insight, Boykin explores how art, education, and community helped him transform grief into growth. This talk is a celebration of perseverance—and a call to embrace imperfection, try relentlessly, and find your voice in every space you enter. Dr. C. Malik Boykin, aka Malik Starx, is a psychologist, professor, and globally traveled hip-hop artist whose public work unites science and music. An Assistant Professor at Brown University, he researches intergroup relations, bias in AI, and racial identity while teaching the psychology of stigma and prejudice. His artistry and scholarship inspire resilience, advocacy, and joy. With an improvisational style in both the classroom and on stage, Malik uses rap to spark discourse and reinvention. In The Power to Try, he blends rhythm and narrative from his journeys in hip-hop and academia to explore the power of persistence and transformation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx