— from “Supertouch/Shitfit” by Bad Brains
It’s no exaggeration to say that people worship Bad Brains.

Bad Brains’ legendary front man, Paul “H.R.” (“Human Rights”) Hudson, commands an almost supernatural reverence. For example, in the book Finding Joseph I: An Oral History of H.R. From Bad Brains, co-author Howie Abrams refers to H.R.’s voice as “otherworldly.” Norwood Fisher of Fishbone described H.R. as a “genius madman musical prophet.” Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi described H.R. as “a visionary.” And Mark Anderson of Positive Force D.C. called H.R. “an absolute shaman.”
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The admiration that H.R. commands is perhaps best summed up by John Joseph of Cro-Mags: “Still to this day, I bow down.”

At the same time that H.R. is so highly revered, there are few figures in music history who are as enigmatic. Far from an exercise in abject hero worship, the portrayal of H.R. in Finding Joseph I is one of a complex man who has defied convention at every turn, perhaps to his own detriment.
Bad Brains’ music and live shows still set the bar for excellence in heavy-metal music. And H.R. is admired for his tremendous insight and strong ability to build bonds and command loyalty. However, the book also describes erratic, violent and self-destructive behavior by a man struggling with mental and physical illness making commercial success less viable and at times leading him to incarceration or homelessness.

In spite of the various struggles that H.R. has experienced in his life, there is one incontrovertible fact: Through it all, he has maintained an unyielding and unflinching spiritual approach to his life; specifically, Positive Mental Attitude. P.M.A. can perhaps best be defined as a deep sense of optimism. And the theory of P.M.A. is that this optimism attracts positive people and situations, helping one to achieve life goals and personal fulfillment.

So when I spoke with H.R. about his life and career, my goal was to deconstruct how H.R. approached P.M.A., not only as a way of celebrating his consistent ability to maintain this mindset, but also to learn from his example. In doing so, I became aware that P.M.A. is not a mindset or attitude per se, but a holistic and active spiritual, mental and behavioral practice. And while not everyone will embrace every aspect of H.R.’s approach, his story serves as an inspiration for each of us as we navigate our own struggles.

At the core of H.R.’s approach to P.M.A. is a deep spirituality – particularly a connection to God and Jesus Christ. H.R. described himself as initially a Jehovah’s Witness, but then eventually embracing Rastafarianism. He explained how reading Napoleon Hill’s 1937 book Think and Grow Rich introduced him to the concept of how faith can drive one to success.
“I was doing more drugs and living wild. At that time, I knew in my heart that I wanted a better way. Just in the nick of time, God taught me how to relate to him. It was in 1979. My father introduced me to a book called Think and Grow Rich,” H.R. told me. “So I read the book and found the connection to God … it introduced a new philosophy to me.


That spiritual connection serves as the engine for H.R.’s approach to P.M.A. “I think the way is better when you can believe in yourself and believe that you are a true son of God and a true daughter of God,” he explained. “And there will be a better way of living for those that want to know…that can help them and save them from tragedy.”
Connecting with God is not a passive endeavor for H.R. in which he hopes to find divine revelation, but rather an active process in which he engages in activities specifically designed to enhance his connection with God.