Biography

Born in Champaign-Urbana, IL, Hager created an underground newspaper called The Tin Whistle in 1968. He obtained a Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois and moved to NYC where he worked for a number of magazines before becoming a reporter for the New York Daily News.

In 1980, he began researching the history of hip hop, the first professional journalist to do so. This culminated in the book "Hip Hop" and the film "Beat Street."

In 1983, he began researching the East Village art scene, principally Jean Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf. This culminated in the book "Art After Midnight."

In 1986, he began working at High Times magazine and quickly rose to editor-in-chief. During his tenure at the magazine he wrote many groundbreaking articles, including the only national magazine article on how and why the CIA killed President John F. Kennedy.
- IMDb mini biography by: Steven Hager