Today we’d like to introduce you to Noah Hunt
Hi Noah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story starts off a little rocky. I was born on drugs in a trailer park in southern Florida. For a few months after my Birth my biological parents took a greyhound bus back and forth to Mansfield ohio. After running from the cops for awhile I was intercepted in Mansfield Ohio after around 3 months of running. From there I was thrown into Forster Care. I was very fortunate and adopted out by two loving parents. Doug & Val Hunt. They took me under their wing and took me in as if I was there very own. My sister Desi Hunt was adopted as well. Today she’s a very talented vocalist and musician.
Until the age of 13, I lived in Ontario ohio out in the woods and attended Ontario Primary Schools from Preschool till 2nd grade. During that time, I didn’t acclimate well with the others and was subject to bullying and harrasment. From 3rd grade until 7th, I attended Scared Heart outside Shelby Ohio. A small Catholic school in the county. During that time of my life I was again subject to harassment and bullying. Most of which came from me being an outsider. Everyone at sacred heart was related and knew each-other. Being that I wasn’t related to anyone It was exceptionally challenging for me to be accepted by the students that attended the school.
Life drastically changed when my 8th grade year when my parents moved us to Crestline Ohio. New town, New Challenges. Again following the same path of being bullied and harassed, My early years in crestline posed many obstacles. But I overcame many of those by being enrolled in sports such as Basketball, Track, & Cross County. I learned how to become more social by being actively involved in sports but still struggled at times to make friends.
At the end of my sophomore year I made a decision that I wanted to attend Pioneer Career & Technology Center in Shelby Ohio. A Trade School that offered experience and degrees while still attending normal curriculum. I opted for the Information Technology Class since I was very hands on and interested in how computer systems worked.
On august 4th, 2016 I had a life changing event. I was out with my friends at night riding our bikes around. I had a BMX bike that I built from the ground up with my close friend Zach. We often did tricks and that night I got up on a 2-3 foot concrete ledge and fell off. I didn’t have a helmet on and hit the concrete face first.
When I woke up I had no idea what time it was, where I was at, or anything. I did however remember my moms cell phone number when I was given assistance during my wreck. When my parents showed up.. All I could say is “Im sorry, Im sorry” because I knew I messed up real bad.
I was taken in an ambulance to gallon hospital. The doctors did a scan and saw I had a brain bleed as well as several other life threatening issues and immediately called in a Life Flight to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus Ohio. I was bed ridden for several weeks. I had well over 150+ facial features, Busted Teeth, Broken Nose, Fractures in my C4 & C5 vertebrate, 4 Brain Bleeds, and a Concussion. When I was released from the hospital and went home I didn’t have whole lot of time to recover before starting school at Pioneer. MY face was an absolute wreck and I was extremely self conscious going into a big school with my injuries.
From that point on I stopped playing sports except cross county. I missed the whole season almost and ran the final 5K at the gallon resevor exactly 3 months after my accident at a time of 24:28. I had absolutely no preparation before it either. As I was advised by doctors not to do that. But something at that time told me to finish out strong before I called it quits on sports.
School was great at pioneer. Many people accepted who I was and loved being around me. I made a lot of friends and also made music while I attended school. While I had a lot of support from surrounding areas, Crestline was definitely not one of them. On several occasions I had death threats sent to me just because I was making music and also speaking out about important issues that riddled the town and school district of Crestline. I never let it stop me and I continued doing what I had to do at that time.
I did not attend the graduation ceremony at Crestline High School due to the way the system handled issues. Not just with myself but other people that went through the same stuff and worse than I did. During the graduation meeting days before everyone walked. I stood up and said “You can mail me my diploma, I don’t care.” And I walked right out the front door of that school.
After High School I enrolled at Marion Technical College for Business Management and also moved to Marion as well. College was short lived for 2 reasons. When I was told in my class for business “You have to lie to your clients to make it” I got up and walked out. Shortly after I stopped producing music entirely due to emotional hardships I was facing within myself. A week after that Covid popped up in Marion and out the whole area on lockdown including the school. Where I lived at was a type of student housing. I had to pay my own rent while most of the others had theirs paid for my scholarships or their parents money. I was the only one living in my building for almost 16 months straight. I worked 2 jobs at all times to make enough to pay my bills and support myself even during the hell that was covid.
I moved down to canal Winchester in late 2020 and lived with my biological aunt for a brief time. I never lived in the big city so it was a huge adjustment for sure. But once I realized how much different people were… I didn’t feel that bad about myself. I guess small towns just generate drama more than the big city does. I was accepted by everyone I met and made a lot of close friends. I even got into photography for awhile and did photos for people on the side to make some extra money.
in late 2021 I moved to Sandusky with my parents while I attended Terra State College in Fremont Ohio. I signed up for the Construction Technology course. The reason I chose that field is my dad ( Doug Hunt ) Worked hard long hours at Columbia Gas in Mansfield to support our family. Often times he would miss holidays, Sport events, and even Birthdays just to put dinner on the table. I respected that a lot and wanted to follow in his footsteps as a hard worker and provider. I wasn’t accustomed to manual labor but learning it made a MAN out of me and taught me a lot of valuable life skills.
My videography really started out early in 2022. Where it’d just record funny moments with my friends and occasional workout sessions at planet fitness. One night I was walking the Jackson Pier in downtown Sandusky Ohio where I ran into a guy Named Eric Jordan. Owner of Next Level Fitness in downtown Sandusky. He asked me what I was up to and I told him I was just out taking some videos. He asked if I’ve ever done any for anyone before and I said No as I’ve never been asked to. Eric Gave me his contact information and Invited me down to Nexxt Level Fitness to scope out the gym and to possibly work together in the future on doing a video for his business.
Shortly after that interaction, I recorded my first ever video for somebody. Eric was so pleased with the video he wrote out a $50 Dollar Check for me. I framed the check and never cashed it as a milestone to my videography journey. It’s currently framed up in my kitchen. From there I did a short recap for Caster Charles in Sandusky for a football training video. I also did a running video for Zeke Johnson where stuck my phone to the side of my car with ductape and followed him around to capture moving shots.
From there I started going full force on videos. I got into contact with Wes1k out of Port Clinton Ohio in November 2022. A very talented rapper and artist. At this time I had never done a music video, So I offered to do it free of charge. The video came out very well and the song is called “Smoke” By Wes1k. I did a few more videos for him shortly after.
Things changed up a bit when Nxxtlvbball got into contact with me in July 2023 about a basketball video for the ladies at Margaretta High School in Castalia Ohio. I ran for about 2 hours while holding my camera equipment up and down the floor while the ladies did drills and even scrimmages. The video came out exceptionally well and helped get my name out in the area for video services.
In the beginning of 2023, I moved into a small apartment in Bellevue Ohio. When I say small.. I mean real small. Roughly 400 Square Ft in size, It was the perfect little home for me, I still live here and I love the small space, makes it easy to clean since I don’t have much stuff to begin with. The small space gave me peace of mind for working on videos. My first video I edited at my apartment was for One Stop Shop located in Sandusky Ohio. Renee Moore reached out in regards to having a video done for their car repair business and I was more than happy to do it. Still to this day I’d have to say its one of the cleanest and well though out videos I’ve ever done.
In the middle of 2023 I had an accident in my Lexus IS 250 when I smacked a deer on my way to work. I spent a lot of time doing small videos on that car from all the upgrades and customization I did. The car was deemed a total loss by my insurance company and I was deviated by the news. Without a car I wasn’t very hopeful. But then things drastically changed.
A friend I met in a local car group named Austin Snyder informed me that some of his friends needed videos of their cars. I didn’t know exactly how it would go but accepted and shot my first video for the Chemical 419 Group in Toledo Ohio in a private lot. Up until this point I was never around nice cars as I grew up driving some real shitbox cars. I dove into a new field of video where I go cinematic footage of dodge chargers and challengers doing doughnuts, burnouts, and even a few rollers down 80-90 Turnpike. The group was so impressed with the video that they welcomed me to many events and even put me in the group chat to stay up to date with plans.
On July 18th, 2023. I drove down to Loudonville Ohio with a few close friends in my dads Ford F-150. I was still bummed I didn’t have a good car at the moment and needed to get out for a bit. We did some night hiking and then stopped at the Taco Bell in downtown Loudonville. I parked next to a Gray 2014 V6 Mustang and I really liked how it looked. So I got on my phone and started car shopping on Caravan at 2AM. Where I found a California Owned Red 2014 V6 Mustang with a 6 Speed manual Transmission. I order the car right there and then. We have video footage of me ordering it and boy is it funny!
On August 22nd 2023 at 4PM my car arrived on a flatbed truck. I was a little skeptical of the purchase at first but something told me at that time to just roll with it. I took it for a test drive and I fell in love! I drove back home and told the Carvana Employee “I’ll take it! Where’s the papers?” Very next day I took it to an exhaust shop where I told them to cut the mufflers off. Yes I know that sounds goofy as hell but I live in Ohio and this was my first sports coupe. Of course I wanted to hear that engine roar! I knew it was be loud but when it started popping and banging between shifts… I knew I did the right thing.
The Chemical 419 Group chat was ecstatic that I had a car but they were also perplexed at first because I was in a Dodge/Mopar Group with a V6 Mustang. That is… Until they saw how well it drifted and did burnouts. They respected me for being different and making the most out of what I had. They even went as far as reassuring me that just because I’m Different, Doesn’t mean I’m going to be left out. And they always invited me out to cruises and car events around Toledo, Cleveland, and even Detroit Michigan.
In the later part of 2023, I did a lot of small form content centered around my car and also published the goofy shenanigans that I would get into with my close friends. At first, I had some criticism from my parents stating that those videos were “unprofessional” and could affect future business. While their concerns were valid, They didn’t fully understand what I was actually doing. I was revealing parts of me that I held back for many years due to my rocky past. For the first time in my life, I felt like absolutely nothing could stop me. I didn’t care what others thought of me and I sought out to be the most genuine version of myself. One that was always there for others and kept true to my word. My marketing isn’t centralized around political correctness or saying things people want to hear. But rather the actions behind my words and the authenticity that most lack in todays modern generation.
On November 16th, 2023. God blessed me with the best gift of my life. My future wife.
I was out searching for cool rocks in the Castalia quarry when I heard something in the Cliffside above me. I climbed up the side and that’s where I met a lovely woman. Her name? Alexandra Bernard.
She had a very attractive dark dress and a camera bag. I noticed the camera equipment and asked if she did photography. She responded immediatly and we fell into about an hour worth of conversation before we even realized it. We exchanged contact information and the first thing she saw of me on my social media was me chasing a deer in a park at 1AM like a complete idiot. From that point forward, we had constant communication.
On New Years Eve, I invited Alexandra to go out with me and take photos of our cars. I captured some beautiful moments without her even noticing it at the time. That night I asked her to be my girlfriend and without hesitation she said yes. I compiled the videos together from that night and made a memorable compilation for the start of our life together. She gave me so much hope to make my dreams reality. So going into the new year of 2024… It was peddle to the metal.
I stared releasing all sorts of videos. I did several videos for Von Mac, A local rapper out of Fremont Ohio. Released a few Vlog videos with some of the funniest moments. I even did a car videos and started learning how to do short form content for Instagram reels.
On January 29th 2024 I drove back from Crestline Ohio after meeting up with my best friend Kaylor Brown. It was 60 degrees and sunny when I left town. But upon passing through Attica Ohio the weather took a drastic turn for the worst. temperatures fell to 34 degrees, just above freezing and a mix of snow and rain started falling. I dropped my speed down to 40MPH in a posted 55MPH while driving down route 4 and continuing onto state route 269 heading into Bellevue Ohio. Slow speeds were not enough and I lost control of my Mustang. The rear end came around into oncoming traffic and I jumped a 3 foot deep ditch going backwards. I took out a road sign in the process until I came to a stop in a farmers field. The first words I said when the car stopped in the field was “Hell yeah I didn’t die.” Im very fortunate I didn’t get hurt and also for the fact that my airbags didn’t go off.
I immediately called Austin Snyder and told him “Bro I messed up, I need a Tow ASAP’. He drove his flatbed from Sandusky to bellevue in 20 minutes flat. If it wasn’t for Austin coming to the rescue things could’ve gone a whole lot different. I rode with Austin in his truck back to Snyder collision in Sandusky Ohio. The whole time I was super stressed out wondering how I’m going to get to and from work. Thats when Austin called his mom and they made sure I had a car before I left the lot. They let me borrow a 2020 Ford Fusion as a rental car to get around while my mustang was being repaired. It was a true blessing, one I will always remember and be thankful for.
I didn’t left my mustang stop me from making videos, It only enabled me to keep making more. I made connections with a local rapper out of Fremont Ohio. He goes by the name XIQTE. I was invited to a place called Venue 18 in Fostoria Ohio to introduce me to the local music scene even more. I Never told anyone I made music at this point and kept my past under wraps. The first video I recorded at the venue was for Austin O.
A Local artist and Producer located in Clyde Ohio. The song titled “Hardin” ft Kid Trix was shot at the venue before, during and after his performance on stage. The video was so successful that many other artists took notice.
Soon after I did 2 music videos for XIQTE. One was recorded in downtown Fremont at 10PM and the other was Recorded in Mohican in the middle of the way.
XoMonty, A Local Rapper in Bellevue Ohio. Reached out to me wanting a vlog/recap video for his upcoming performance at Venue 18. I recorded and uploaded the video to my instagram with great success. People loved it and wanted more.
E!Evon a local Rapper in Bellevue Ohio also reached out for a music video called “Stomp em out” ft. XIQTE. And was shot in Cleveland Ohio at various locations.
The traction gained from doing Music Videos and Recaps pushed my name out into the public in ways that I didn’t expect. What started out with getting a few hundred views turned into thousands.
After a few months I got my Mustang back and was feeling the best I ever have in my life. One night at Venue 18, XIQTE had his stage performance with a respectable sized crowd. A Few days prior to this, I told XIQTE about one of my old songs. He was shocked by this news since I never told any of the other artists I used to make music. He threw my song on his set list and just like that… The cat was out of the bag. I didn’t even tell my girl friend Alexandra that I made music.
I surprised everyone at the Venue including Brian Durst. Owner of B-Durst Records and Talented singer from Findlay Ohio. The crowd went absolutely ballistic from seeing the camera man perform a song. Not only was the song very good, but it captivated everyone and turned heads even on social media. The whole thing was recorded too, which made it all the better. My social media got flooded with requests to feature on tracks in the future and questions as to when id perform again. At first I didn’t want to perform again. But that’s where E!Evon came to me with a proposition. There was an upcoming show at the Carey Brewing Station located in Carey Ohio. He asked if I had anything else and I said I did. It was a short song of me singing that I called “Therapy”. He loved it so much that he insisted that I perform it. I was hesitant at first but I gave in. The Carey Brewing Station Show was SOLD OUT. It was packed to the walls with people waiting to hear local talent. I never promoted it or even said I was going to perform. So when I hopped on stage and started singing.. I surprised everyone there. People knew at this point I was a videographer, but not a musical artist. I didn’t tell my girl I could sing and she witnessed first hand parts of me nobody had ever seen before. Everyone loved my performance and I had many asking when I was going to perform again. I just said “I don’t know if I will.” and left it at that.
A few weeks from after the Carey Brewing Station show, XoMonty reached out to me regarding a show at the Vortex Concert Club and The Outpost. Both located near Akron Ohio. At first he wanted me to do videos for him and fellow artists but then it also transpired into offerings to perform on stage. At this point my feet were completely in the waters and I just said “Sure why not”
Doing Videos for Artists and Performing at the same time is a very challenging endeavor. Its not as easy as it looks. Getting off stage after doing a whole 10 minute set and then immediately going back to recording without a break is very tough. But I did it without hesitation and stayed strong.
You’re probably wondering what my name means. YGExplore.
When I was born my biological parents named me Ydor George and when I was adopted my name was changed to Noah Hunt.
YGExplore stands for Ydor George Explore. An expression to never forget the past but to continue pushing forward in the world to explore.
I don’t just want YGExplore as my own personal name. Its a symbolic representation for everyone. Regardless of who or where, To keep going. To never give up. And to always explore the world as it was intended.
I never had an “easy life”. Ive battled and went through things that would break most people. Thats why I want YGExplore to be a beacon of hope. For the Outcasts and the Blacksheeps. A Symbol to persevere through the roughest of conditions. While we are all different, That doesn’t mean being left out. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you went thought. When you’re around me, We’re family. We got each others backs no matter what and push everyone to become the best versions of themselves. All I want is to give people today what I didn’t have when I was younger.
– Noah Hunt
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggles came in forms of bullying, harassment, and non acceptance at a young age. Those traumas slowly bled into my life even after they already passed. And its because of those traumas, Why I am the man I am today. One of compassion, love, and acceptance. But also one that fears nothing and will go above and beyond what’s necessary. Trying to fit in also posed some issues to my self esteem when I was younger. It made a significant dent in my abilities when I was younger to connect with others. I wasn’t good with grades in school but its not what everyone thinks. Ever since 8th grade I had a very deep understanding with how the system works and what I does to you. So I focused more on life skills outside of school instead of studying and doing homework. The system was not designed to generate creative minds. It was created to strip away thinkers and indoctrinate compliant institutional workers.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a videographer and creative artist, I do things completely different from the masses. I don’t buy the nicest or newest things. I don’t buy name brand cloths. I don’t follow trends. and I don’t spend my free time partying or playing video games.
I specialize in hearing the stories from people I work with and articulate those descriptions into well though out videos that bring out the most in the people I work with.
I also set my pricing for videos way lower than any other videographer in the area. I understand what it’s like to not have a lot of money but also wanting to get a story out there in video form. Ive been there before. Theres many talented individuals out there that just want to be heard and represented. Thats where I come in.
I give people quality videos for a fraction of the cost that most other charge.
In some cases I do videos for free If I see a need to help someone get their message out there.
I use my iPhone 15 pro & Cap-Cut to put videos together. It sounds wild but I do this for a very specific reason. ON DEMAND EDITING AND REVIEW.
By doing everything on my phone I’m able to shoot and edit anywhere, anytime. Which speeds the process up videos and makes transferring videos to clients seamless without loss of quality. When you upload a video to google drive or drop box, the quality gets destroyed due to file compression. Where as doing airdrop or direct transfer for android doesn’t mess with the quality whatsoever.
What’s next?
In the future I hope to have better equipment without pricing my marketing demographic out of the picture. I want to continue to offer affordable videos for people while also building up my equipment with better cameras and lenses. This entire time I’ve been shooting videos on my iPhone 15 pro (Used to be a 13 Pro). The reason I use iPhone is to make projects easier to manage and also to get the videos out to people as fast as possible without having to wait days. I still want my video services to be affordable and able to work with almost any budget. So when I buy new gear including a drone (If I don’t crash it) I’ll still offer video services on iPhone to everyone to help save my clients and get their message out there.
Pricing:
- Music Performance Recap 1 min – $70
- Music Video under 3 min – $100
- Music Video over 3 Min – $150
- Product Video 1 Minute – $70
- Car Video/Rollers 1 min – $85
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ygexplore/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ygexplore
- Other: https://dot.cards/ygexplore?e=ZGV2aWNlLXBzdG56aWpvdHJzcmRqenpmMTg3Z2U1OTItZi1ibA
