By Ezae Darby
From DJ to Writers Guild of America (WGA) writer to podcast host, DJ Ben Ha Meen has truly done it all. His latest venture, co-writing the new comic book “Purple Haze,” is nothing short of extraordinary. Meen has always been a creative force. His transition from DJing to writing comics is a journey straight out of a storybook.
Before diving into DJing, he was a film enthusiast, graduating from Howard University and pursuing his ambitions as a writer. To this day, he has successfully written for numerous TV shows and films like, “American Gods.” However, everything came full circle for him after college when he reconnected with his childhood passion for comic books. A friend offered to illustrate a comic in exchange for Meen writing the story—a collaboration that marked the beginning of “Purple Haze.” With such a diverse creative background, it’s no surprise that Meen’s talents translated seamlessly into different career paths.
“I approach everything the way I approach making mixtapes,” he told The Vanguard. “They were always a story and contained elements beyond just the music.” He credits his music production experience for preparing him to create such a story. “Making music was my training ground; it taught me about editing […] a lot of the ideas in the book come from my years of making and reflecting on music.”
Meen shared how Jimi Hendrix influenced the creation of “Purple Haze.” He described Hendrix as “one of the greats in Black music,” but emphasized that the book is “a love letter to Black music more than a love letter to Jimi Hendrix.” He spoke about the profound role Black music has played in African American history and culture. “Black music has been our theme song in revolution, inspiring us to get through the day,” he said.
The central theme of “Purple Haze” is about inspiration and overcoming hardships. Meen described it as the journey of an artist.
“Just because you’re doing something you don’t want to do doesn’t mean you can’t do what you want later. Jimi’s story is about reinventing himself, and everyone can do that,” he said.
Shifting from Hendrix, Meen spoke about the significance of sharing “Purple Haze” with the world. He reflected on how surreal it was to see friends reading his work and sharing it with their children. Despite having a clear message in the book, Meen encourages readers to interpret it their own way.
“It’s amazing to see them connecting with something I created,” he said. “You can read it however you want; there’s no wrong way.”
In reflecting on his experience in the writing industry, Meen shared insights on balancing creativity and life. He discussed the demanding nature of Hollywood writing rooms and urged aspiring writers to prioritize their personal lives.
“First thing is, don’t stop, but don’t kill yourself […] I don’t write every day,” he said. “This capitalist world will teach you that you have to write every day […] but it’s important to live too.”
Meen also touched on his relationship with former NFL player and activist Colin Kaepernick. He shared how Kaepernick approached him to collaborate on a project aimed at supporting Black writers. However, their partnership ended after Meen and other Black writers discovered that the initiative would integrate AI into creative work. A staunch opponent of AI in artistic projects, Meen was vocal about supporting artists. “Screw artificial intelligence—pay artists. AI isn’t creating; it’s stealing from other people,” he said.
Meen’s advice to aspiring artists is to go out and experience the world, letting that serve as fuel for their creative journey.
“Live—go out, meet different people, and experience life,” he said. “You need to live to become a great writer.”