Gabriel Rudd on Building Community in the Black Outdoors | Unmapped Podcast Ep. 3
What does it mean for Black men to show up — online and in nature?
In this episode of Unmapped with Jamie Downs, I sit down with Gabriel Rudd (@itsnotiqbruh) — founder of Nothing Other Than Ill Quotes (NOTIQ) — to talk about building authentic influence, redefining intelligence, and getting Black people outside.
Gabriel has built a community rooted in:
Black hiking and outdoor experiences
Thoughtful masculinity and identity
Digital storytelling without performance
Encouraging Black men to take up intellectual and physical space
If you’ve seen him on the trails, leading hikes, kayaking, or speaking from nature, you know his content feels different. It’s not loud. It’s intentional.
In this conversation we discuss:
• Why “It’s Not IQ” challenges narrow definitions of intelligence
• Black men in digital spaces and owning your voice
• Building influence without chasing the algorithm
• Getting the Black community more connected to nature
• Why you don’t need perfect production to start
• “If there aren’t people showing up like you… maybe you need to show up.”
This episode is for:
Black creators
Black men in the outdoors
Black hiking community
Outdoor content creators
Entrepreneurs starting from scratch
Anyone trying to show up more fully online
Watch until the end if you’ve been overthinking starting something.
Connect with Gabriel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsnotiqbruh
Website: https://www.itsnotiqbruh.com
Follow me:
IG: @JamieDowns
YouTube: @JamieDowns
Substack: https://substack.com/@blacktravelersbucketlist
