BALTIMORE — On daily basis, you can catch Khaliq Greathouse walking and riding through the city of Baltimore with his iPhone in hand, looking for a story to tell.
In under a year’s time, Khaliq's style of storytelling has drawn thousands of people to his Instagram and TikTok pages.
What keeps people coming back?
VIDEO: Content creator shows audience unique image of Baltimore through his eyes
“[It’s] authentic, fun [and] cute but real, genuine and touching” Khaliq said. “Everything in my videos has a reason and a purpose. People love it because it’s real and they feel it, they feel it when they watch.”
With every video, Khaliq takes you on a lighthearted journey through Charm City, accompanied by a classic soundtrack with an oldies R&B vibe.
In most videos, you may not even hear him say a word. He lets the images do the talking.
“My words can’t explain things the way the videos do, because it’s a feeling,” Khaliq said.
When he does use words they're intentional. For example, Khaliq's favorite nickname for the place he calls home, is “Balti.”
Why the “cute” nickname for Baltimore City?
“Through my art, 'Balti' is like a future version of Baltimore,” Khaliq said.
The vision of a thriving Charm City is more focused, not on what Baltimore is, but what it can be.
“A future version where Black people are successful in the city, whether it’s booming Black-owned businesses. Black homeownership on the rise. Everything, just a booming black city."
Until then, Khaliq hopes to keep documenting and showcasing the kind of images he wants to see, in the way he wants to see them, in hopes more people see something they can be proud of.
“Many people have told me that after seeing the videos it’s like ‘oh the way they saw that street or the place that they live changed. They’re like wow I see it in a way that’s beautiful now."
Another takeaway he wants Baltimore to have is seeing and caring for the city throughout its ups and downs.
“It’s about the people who are living here , to see Baltimore in its most beautiful light because it’s ours at the end of the day.”
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