MOE McCOY IS STILL BUILDING — AND THAT MAY BE HIS GREATEST ROLE YET
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From hip-hop to filmmaking, from stand-up comedy to aviation, Moe McCoy refuses to let one title define him. Now the Michigan creative is entering another chapter as a founding influencer and content partner with Absolutely Amazing Alkaline H2O. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Some people spend their lives trying to figure out what they are supposed to become. Moe McCoy decided he could become more than one thing. Father. Filmmaker. Actor. Writer. Comedian. Entrepreneur. Music artist. Content creator. And now, aspiring pilot. To some, he is Moe Money McCoy. Others recognize him through Fireproof TV or his developing Hood Fades movement. But McCoy's own description may say more about him than any résumé ever could.
That sentence is the foundation of the Moe McCoy story. At a point when many people begin protecting what they have already accomplished, McCoy is still adding chapters. And there have already been plenty. FROM GRAND RAPIDS TO LOS ANGELESMcCoy's creative story began in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with hip-hop. Music gave him his first vehicle for storytelling. But eventually, simply telling those stories through songs wasn't enough. He wanted people to see them. That desire opened the door to filmmaking. Writing allowed him to develop the ideas. Acting put him inside the story. Directing gave him control of the vision. Editing allowed him to shape the finished product. And music remained there, helping him give those stories emotion. For McCoy, filmmaking became the place where all of his abilities could meet.
That creative journey would eventually stretch from Michigan to Los Angeles, where McCoy continued developing his voice and expanding his experience in entertainment. MORE THAN 60 FEATURE FILMS. THOUSANDS OF VIDEOS.McCoy's body of work is not theoretical. He says he has contributed to more than 60 feature films and created thousands of videos. But even with that experience, education remained important. McCoy earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Cinematography and later his Master's Degree in Media Design from Full Sail University, graduating as salutatorian. Those accomplishments reveal something important about the man behind the camera. McCoy isn't simply interested in being seen. He wants to understand the craft. He wants to master it. And then he wants to build something with it. That desire ultimately helped produce Fireproof TV, another platform for McCoy's expanding creative vision. Then came comedy. Standing on a stage with a microphone requires a different kind of courage than standing behind a camera. For McCoy, comedy became another storytelling tool — a way of turning life's struggles, lessons and everyday absurdities into something audiences could share. “PUT THE GUNS DOWN, PICK UP THE GLOVES.”Perhaps one of the strongest examples of McCoy's desire to create with purpose is Hood Fades. Its message is simple: “Put the guns down, pick up the gloves.”Behind those words is a larger idea. McCoy wants entertainment to do more than entertain. He wants creativity to become a vehicle for community, opportunity and intervention. Hood Fades represents a belief that young people can redirect energy that might otherwise lead toward violence into something competitive, productive and positive. And McCoy wants to see that concept reach additional communities. It is part of a long-term vision that stretches far beyond personal fame.
AND THEN MOE LOOKED UPFor a man accustomed to looking through a camera lens, one of McCoy's newest dreams required him to look somewhere else. Up. Aviation has become another serious goal. McCoy says working around airplanes — and eventually taking a discovery flight — transformed curiosity into ambition. He has also completed recent American Airlines training in Dallas, an experience that gave him an even deeper appreciation for aviation and the people responsible for making air travel possible. But he doesn't simply want to work around airplanes. Moe McCoy wants to fly one.
Becoming a pilot is now another goal he is pursuing step by step. And somehow, when you understand McCoy's personality, adding “pilot” to filmmaker, actor, writer and comedian doesn't seem unusual at all. It seems almost inevitable. SUCCESS DOESN'T REMOVE THE STRUGGLEThe résumé may look impressive. The road hasn't always been. McCoy speaks openly about balancing family, employment, education and independent creative projects. There is also one challenge nearly every independent filmmaker understands: Money. Funding a vision before the rest of the world sees its value is difficult. So is convincing people to believe in something before there is proof that it will work. McCoy has also experienced setbacks involving his content and channels. But his response has remained consistent. Adjust. Learn. Keep moving. He credits his faith, his children and his belief in what he is building with keeping him focused.
That may be one of the most important lessons in his entire story. ENTER ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ALKALINE H2OMcCoy's next chapter now includes another growing independent brand. Absolutely Amazing Alkaline H2O. McCoy has joined the company as a founding influencer and content partner, bringing something much larger than social-media reach to the relationship. He brings production capability. He brings acting. He brings writing. He brings comedy. He brings music. And, perhaps most importantly, he understands storytelling. McCoy sees an opportunity to incorporate the brand naturally into original entertainment rather than simply holding up a bottle for an advertisement.
That distinction could become extremely important as Absolutely Amazing Alkaline H2O continues expanding its creator network. Traditional advertising tells consumers what a product is. Creators can show people where that product fits into life. And McCoy has the ability to approach that assignment from several directions.
A CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP, NOT JUST AN ENDORSEMENTMcCoy says the creative possibilities surrounding the partnership played an important role in his decision to become part of the Absolutely Amazing family. As a founding influencer and content partner, he saw an opportunity to participate rather than simply endorse. That matters. Because Moe McCoy has spent his career creating worlds. Now Absolutely Amazing Alkaline H2O has handed him another product, another platform and another story to help build. The collaboration also connects McCoy with the company's broader USA Hydration Restoration Project, creating additional opportunities for storytelling, community engagement and original content. For a creator accustomed to working across multiple disciplines, it is a natural fit. THE NEXT CHAPTERAsk Moe McCoy what he wants people to understand about where he is today and he doesn't talk like someone reaching the end of his journey. He talks like somebody at the beginning. Film prepared him for something. Music prepared him for something. Comedy prepared him. Business prepared him. Fatherhood prepared him. The setbacks prepared him. And now aviation is teaching him something different altogether.
That may ultimately be the real Moe McCoy story. Not that one person became a filmmaker, actor, comedian, musician, entrepreneur and future pilot. But that he never accepted the idea that becoming one thing meant abandoning the possibility of becoming another. At every stage, McCoy has kept something from the chapter before it. Now he is bringing all of it forward. And his message to anybody wondering whether it is too late to pursue another dream is simple: You don't have to erase who you've already become. You can build on it. You can learn again. You can dream again. And you can begin another chapter. Moe McCoy certainly is. Laugh loud. Love hard. Dream bigger… KEEP FADE'N!THE SOUTHSIDE SIGNALPeople. Business. Culture. Community. TheSouthSideSignal.com Powered by Absolutely Amazing Media |

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The line about picking up gloves instead of guns stuck with me. Kids need places to put that energy.
I would love to see one of his comedy sets. Making people laugh takes a different kind of nerve.
Good for Moe for saying he is still building. A lot of us are, no matter how old we get.
I like the idea of making short films for the water brand more than another person posing with a bottle.
Has anyone watched Fireproof TV? I'm curious what kind of shows Moe is making there.
Balancing kids and work while trying to fund a film is no joke. I respect him for saying that part out loud.
My brother did a discovery flight once and talked about it for months. I get why Moe wants to keep going.
Has Hood Fades held any events in Grand Rapids yet? I would bring my nephews.
I took a discovery flight once and couldn't stop thinking about it either. I get why Moe wants to go back up.
Balancing kids, work and school is no small thing. That part sounded familiar to me.
Filmmaking and then pilot training, that is quite a jump. Hope he gets to fly that plane.
I have seen some Fireproof TV clips. Good to hear Moe is still at it.
I'd go see a Hood Fades event if they bring one to the south side. Anybody know if one is planned?
From making music in Grand Rapids to wanting to fly planes, Moe has covered some ground.
The water partnership feels a little like an ad to me. I am more interested in what he is doing with Hood Fades.
My son wants to make films too, so I showed him the part about Moe finishing his degrees. Good reminder to keep learning.
I like that he went back for his degrees even after working on films. You can always learn more.
More than 60 feature films is a lot. I would like to know which ones he worked on.
The water partnership feels a little promotional to me. I'd rather hear more about Fireproof TV.
I like that Moe said he is still building. I'm in my forties and needed to hear that today.
My son wants to make movies and thinks he has to leave Michigan first. Moe's start in Grand Rapids gives him something to look at.
The Hood Fades message is the part that got me. I hope he brings it to more neighborhoods.
I remember hearing Moe Money around Grand Rapids years ago. Glad to see he is still making things.
The Hood Fades message is good, but I hope they have coaches and a safe place for the kids to train.
More than 60 feature films is a lot. I would love to know which ones he worked on.
I remember hearing Moe Money around Grand Rapids years ago. Glad to see he kept making things.