Eric Dewayne July (born April 17, 1990) is an American musician, entrepreneur, comic book publisher, and libertarian political commentator. July stands as one of the most effective popularizers of radical liberty in contemporary culture: a black artist who emerged from the left, rejected statism entirely, and built independent media and entertainment platforms that bypass establishment gatekeepers. Through his rap-metal band BackWordz, his Rippaverse Comics publishing company, and his prolific commentary work, July demonstrates that Anarcho-Capitalism is not an abstract academic doctrine but a lived framework for creative independence, economic self-determination, and cultural resistance against collectivism.
Early Life and Political Awakening#
July was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, primarily in the Oak Cliff neighborhood. His childhood was marked by hardship: his parents separated when he was young, and he lost contact with his father. As a teenager he became involved in gang activity, was sent to Arkansas to live with his grandmother, and later returned to Dallas only to be expelled from multiple high schools. A promising track athlete, his athletic career was cut short when he was shot in the knee. The turning point came after a narrow escape from a drive-by shooting and the death of a close friend, which prompted him to abandon the street life and pursue education.
He attended the University of Memphis on a track and field scholarship before transferring to Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, where he majored in communications. It was during this period that July underwent the intellectual transformation that would define his career. Having campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008 as a committed leftist, he encountered the works of black free-market economists such as Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams—scholars in the Austrian School tradition who challenged the narrative that systemic oppression rather than state intervention was the primary obstacle to prosperity in black communities. July describes this as the moment his worldview inverted: he moved from advocating expanded government to recognizing that the state itself is the engine of the very injustices he had sought to remedy.
By 2015 he had embraced full anarcho-capitalism, grounding his politics in the Non-Aggression Principle and self-ownership. He returned to Dallas and began building platforms to communicate these ideas to audiences far outside traditional libertarian circles.
Music and the Fusion of Art and Liberty#
July entered the music scene in Corpus Christi and San Antonio under the name YG Ripple, initially playing keyboards before transitioning to vocals. He served as frontman for the band Fire from the Gods before forming BackWordz in late 2014. In 2016 the band signed with Stay Sick Recordings and developed a distinctive identity as what critics called “the libertarian Rage Against the Machine”—a rap-metal outfit whose aggressive instrumentals and unapologetic lyrics advanced themes of individual freedom, anti-statism, and voluntaryism.
The band’s track “Self Ownership” (featuring Fronz of Attila) remains its most explicit statement of anarcho-capitalist principle, taking its title directly from the foundational Rothbardian concept that each individual is the sole rightful owner of their own body and labor. BackWordz’s music rejects the leftist collectivism typical of politically charged metal and hip-hop, instead framing the state as the true oppressor and voluntary exchange as the path to liberation. July’s artistic approach embodies the anarcho-capitalist insight that culture is a battlefield: ideas spread not only through treatises but through art that resonates emotionally with people who would never read Murray Rothbard.
Rippaverse Comics and Creator Independence#
In July 2022, July launched Rippaverse Comics, an independent comic book publishing company founded on principles that parallel anarcho-capitalist economics: creator ownership, direct-to-consumer sales, rejection of institutional gatekeeping, and voluntary exchange unmediated by corporate intermediaries. The company’s debut title, Isom, was promoted through an online crowdfunding campaign that shattered expectations, raising over $3.7 million within weeks—demonstrating that consumers will enthusiastically support alternatives to mainstream entertainment when given the opportunity.
Rippaverse represented more than a business venture; it was a practical application of anarcho-capitalist theory to the culture war. July identified “woke” corporate comics publishing as a form of cartel behavior: ideologically captured institutions using market power to push narratives consumers reject, while suppressing dissenting creators. By bypassing traditional distribution, owning intellectual property outright, and selling directly to fans, Rippaverse modeled how decentralized markets can outcompete stagnant monopolies. Subsequent releases including Alphacore, Yaira, Goodyng, and the anthology Saints & Sinners expanded the universe, with each campaign funded voluntarily by consumers who valued creative freedom over corporate conformity.
The Rippaverse model—direct funding, creator control, audience-driven content—illustrates anarcho-capitalist predictions about how markets replace top-down hierarchies with horizontal networks of mutual benefit. No state subsidy, no corporate boardroom, no diversity quota: just voluntary exchange between creators and consumers.
Media Commentary and Cultural Advocacy#
Beyond music and comics, July has established himself as a prominent libertarian commentator through YouTube and his role as a contributor to Blaze Media. His commentary covers cultural trends, economic issues, media criticism, and political analysis—consistently from an anarcho-capitalist perspective that treats the state as illegitimate and voluntary cooperation as the only moral basis for social organization.
He founded Minorities Seeking Solutions, an outreach initiative aimed at connecting with young black males and demonstrating that libertarian and anarcho-capitalist ideas offer a more coherent path to empowerment than state dependency or political activism. This work addresses a critical gap in the liberty movement: the perception that anarcho-capitalism is a philosophy for the privileged. July’s own biography—rising from gang involvement and poverty to build multiple successful independent enterprises—serves as a powerful counterargument.
Anarcho-Capitalist Philosophy#
July’s anarcho-capitalism is explicit and unapologetic. He describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist who seeks to get people “thinking more critically about things”—particularly the unquestioned assumption that government is a necessary or legitimate institution. His public advocacy consistently applies the Non-Aggression Principle to contemporary issues: taxation is theft, regulation is coercion, and the state’s monopoly on force is the root of systemic injustice rather than its solution.
From an anarcho-capitalist viewpoint, July’s significance lies in his ability to translate radical theory into accessible cultural products. Where academic libertarians debate praxeology and title-transfer contract theory, July reaches audiences through metal riffs, superhero comics, and viral commentary. This multimedia approach reflects the anarcho-capitalist understanding that ideas must compete in a free market of culture: the best arguments win not through institutional endorsement but through voluntary adoption by individuals who find them compelling.
His trajectory—from Obama campaigner to anarcho-capitalist entrepreneur—also illustrates a broader pattern in the liberty movement: the left’s promise of state-managed equality fails in practice, and those who genuinely seek human flourishing eventually recognize that only voluntary exchange and private property can deliver it.
Selected Works and Projects#
Music (with BackWordz)
- Self Ownership (single, 2016) — explicit anarcho-capitalist anthem
- Veracity (album, 2017)
- Additional singles and EPs with libertarian themes
Comics (Rippaverse Comics)
- Isom #1 (2022) — debut title, crowdfunding campaign raised $3.7M+
- Isom #2 (2023)
- Alphacore #1 (2023)
- Yaira #1 (2023)
- Goodyng (2024)
- Saints & Sinners #1 (2025)
Media
- YouTube commentary channel: Eric July
- Blaze Media contributor
Eric July represents a new generation of anarcho-capitalist advocates: culturally fluent, entrepreneurial, and unafraid to build alternatives to establishment institutions. His work demonstrates that the philosophy of liberty is not confined to economics departments or political campaigns—it is a practical toolkit for anyone seeking to create, produce, and thrive outside the state’s shadow. Through music, comics, and commentary, July continues to expand the reach of anarcho-capitalist ideas into communities and demographics that traditional libertarian outreach has struggled to engage.
Disenthrall Content featuring Eric July
