The most promising rapper in Philadelphia is a 13-year-old gun-safety activist

The night before North Philadelphia native Zayvion Hamiel set foot on the 2026 Roots Picnic stage, he stuck to his preshow routine.

For hours, ZayMoney, as he’s better known in rap circles, and his two older brothers, Treyvon Hamiel and Tamaj Garner, rehearsed at his family’s community center.

They worked on sharpening Zayvion’s musical transitions and choreography.

Then hours later, he performed in front of thousands on the Roots Picnic’s main stage, the same one graced by festival headliners Jaÿ-Z and Erykah Badu.

“I had to turn up,” he said.

ZayMoney commanded the stage like a seasoned vet, with fans dancing to his up-tempo tracks “Pop Out” and “Philly Anthem.”

Not bad for a 13-year-old.

Zayvion was one of the youngest acts booked in the festival’s history. As impressive as that is, it’s just one of several notable achievements for the North Philadelphia teenager, who has been rapping since he was 6, using his music to spread messages of positivity and nonviolence.

“My message is to get young people to believe that they don’t have to do negative stuff. They can be who they want and believe in themselves,” he said.

Zayvion first dreamed of becoming a rap star watching his eight older siblings, who performed songs condemning street violence at their family’s community center.

“I wanted to give it a try because they were doing something great, giving back, and actually putting positive messaging in their music,” he said.

The center, located at 3527 N. Ninth St., is home to the nonprofit organization Shadow Trax Media Arts, which Zayvion’s parents, Joanne and Rodney Hamiel, founded in 2007.

They work with other aspiring creators with interests in podcasting, modeling, graphic design, dancing, and T-shirt making. The venue also served as Zayvion’s testing ground.

“We’re the Jackson 25,” said Joanne Hamiel. Zayvion is a favorite among folks who come to the community center.

The center, nicknamed Zay’s House, is where Zayvion and his 10 siblings, who moonlight as DJs, dancers, choreographers, and hype men, shaped his confidence as a performer. It’s also where he learned to pour his outside experiences into his music.

Beyond the studio, Zayvion is an outgoing eighth-grader at Overbrook Educational Center who enjoys dancing, meeting new people, and playing basketball with his friends and siblings.

He’s a “busybody,” Joanne Hamiel said, and her son is rarely at a loss for words. But before each performance, he’s at his most subdued.

The boisterous, outspoken teen falls into a “silent meditation” before walking onstage. Then seconds later, he transforms into a confident, fearless talent.

Zayvion said music has always been his preferred channel of self-expression, and his push for nonviolent music is also linked to personal tragedy.

On July 4, 2024, his 19-year-old cousin, Maurice Quann, was fatally shot during a party in Southwest Philly. “It was all fun until somebody wanted to go on [Instagram Live] and said, ‘Oh, come shoot that’ and ‘come shoot this,’” Zayvion said.

His cousin’s death deepened Zayvion’s commitment to nonviolent advocacy. He launched a diversion program under his parents’ nonprofit to inform his peers about the dangers of gun violence, drug use, and gang culture.

He’s inserted more of these messages into his music, with hopes of steering his young listeners toward a “positive path.”

“Seeing these kids dying every day, and nobody speaking up for them bothered me,” Zayvion said. “I just wanted to be able to speak up for them and listen to them. And also to see how they feel and what they think the community needs.”

Most of his songs are fueled by up-tempo, South Jersey club beats, but it’s his lyrics that encourage his listeners to focus on their education and recreational pursuits.

“To get what you want, you got to be on it. You got to believe in yourself (believe in yourself). Don’t listen to them. Don’t follow the trend. You got to just do it yourself,” he raps on “Rich,” featuring artist Amari Bryant.

Zayvion, his father said, is the “Michael Jackson of the family.”

“He was always different. He had no fear on the stage,” Rodney Hamiel said. “He always talked for himself, and he knew what he wanted to say.”

Now, others have taken notice.

Zayvion has performed on concert and festival stages in cities from New York to Miami, and he’s made fans out of Philly rappers Fis Banga and Amir Ali. He’s also caught the attention of DJ Doc B of Power 99 FM, who’s played his song “Pop Out” on-air.

The longtime DJ and program director said he admires the kid’s hustle and artistic stance.

“He and his family are putting in the work and are pounding the pavement,” he said. “And he has some really good music. It’s energetic, catchy, youthful, and I was pulled into it.”

Also among Zayvion’s fans is Philly Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who he said always encourages him to continue making his brand of music whenever she spots him at an event.

“She’s been backing him up,” Joanne Hamiel said. “Every time she sees him, her eyes light up.”

Beyond his music, Zayvion is often seen organizing community events and addressing gun-violence intervention at national conferences.

In August, he led the Carnival in the Hood event at Cumberland Square Park. He selected vendors, secured sponsorships, and headlined the free gathering, which drew more than 600.

“There was no fighting, no shooting, and it was packed. There was joy. Everybody had fun,” he said.

He was also a panelist at the Clinton Global Initiative 2026 Annual Meeting in New York City, where he spoke about sustaining gun-violence prevention strategies while combating declining funding.

“I really love him as a kid,” Joanne Hamiel said. “I just want the love that we feel for the rest of the world to feel it because he really is trying to save these kids. He could have done anything he wanted to do in the world, but he chose this route.”