Can you tell us a little bit about your musical influences?

I grew up immersed in hip-hop culture as I felt it was the only form of expression that I could relate to, it was a form of rebellion, for those who don’t fit into the mainstream American society. The most significant influence on my music is the artist and revolutionary, Tupac Shakur. It was 2pac who got me into music, at the age of 3 I remember hearing 2pac’s “Changes”. It is the first and most vivid memory I have from my early childhood. Tupac Shakur was a revolutionary artist whose music, message and person transcend time, genre and location.

My entire life I have studied various revolutionaries, artists, figures in history, Islamic leaders and anti-imperialists. Some of the biggest influences of my life are Malcolm X, Tupac Shakur, Sadequain, Leila Khaled, Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, Ali Shariati, King Mansa Musa (also one of my aliases), Omar Mukhtar, Prophet Musa (whom I was named after), and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). My music is inspired by musicians such as Ahmad Jamal, MIA, Dead Prez, Gil-Scott Heron, Tupac Shakur, OutKast, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone as well as by visual artists such as Frida Khalo, Pablo Picasso, & Sadequain. I create every aspect of my art, from the cover art to the lyrics, to the production even down to the actual mixing and mastering of the audio. That is why I am not only inspired by music, but from movies, books, revolutionaries, artists, paintings, and practically anything one could derive inspiration from.

What is your production process like?

The process behind the art is extremely fluid, informal and natural. I am a writer at the end of the day yet many of my songs are 100% improvised and inspired by spontaneous emotions. I let my flow act as a conduit for my subconscious, I write to express emotions I’ve been carrying and I create visual work based on the aesthetics and styles I conjure up in my head. Although I prefer the ability to control every facet of my art, that does not mean I am opposed to collaboration. I work with several producers when I am not making my own production, my main producer; LevitatingMan is also an extremely inspiring revolutionary who’s ethereal pallet of sounds perfectly blend with the themes I employ throughout my music. I have also collaborated with multi-media platform, Freetown Radio on multiple articles, audio interviews and an upcoming 3-track EP that I will be releasing through his platform. Many of my photos, videos and media are created with the help of my good friend SolomonSoulGems who helps capture my vision as my photographer.

What kind of themes do you deal with lyrically?

I am unapologetically radical in the lyrical content I choose to deliver, as well as rhythmically and sonically appealing to those who might not agree with what I have to say. Although it is not my intention, I often find that many who enjoy my music may completely overlook what I have to say due to the catchiness and the modern feel of my music, it isn’t uninviting and it doesn’t scream “conscious.” I do that for a specific reason, I want my music to make an impact. If one plays a song enough times they start to repeat the lyrics in their head, change can be subconscious and I believe revolution isn’t just political, it’s cultural. I not only want to be part of the political revolution but the cultural one.

I differentiate myself from “conscious rappers” by not adhering to boom bap and instead choosing forward-thinking production that will match the revolutionary way I think. I’m bringing awareness to an audience who may have never heard of the concepts I am speaking about and they wouldn’t if it weren’t for the type of music I make. I’m trying to make it “cool” to be revolutionary, “cool” to behave outside the cultural norms and “cool” to challenge systems of oppression. I’m trying to make it “cool” to not be mysongistic in hip-hop, I’m trying to make it “cool” not to use the word “bitch” yet still sound fly, and I’m trying to make it “cool” to speak up for those who don’t have a voice. On my upcoming single, Please Shut The Fuck Up, I bring awareness to the issue of US imperialism. On another upcoming song Shining Path off my forthcoming album, I speak about the stigmatization Muslim women face for wearing a hijab, from liberals and conservatives alike

“I ain’t got no friends cause most of them end up dead / If you speak against the feds you might end up dead / she ain’t oppressed because she wants to cover her head /”

I don’t want to do anything that is being done currently, I want to create a new movement, a new genre within hip-hop (which has often been described as New Wave Trap) and a new way of thinking. I want to reinvent the genre of music that I am a part of, as I believe it has deviated ideologically as well as culturally from its roots (due to systematic and corporate infiltration) but I am not a “purist” because I believe in pushing the sound forward, instead of regressing sonically. This is why my production is often trap-influenced, full of 808’s and atmospheric-spaced-out synths. I want to empower the brown and Muslim youth of America, I want them to know they don’t have to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer. They can be artists, political leaders, musicians, or anything they want to be. I want to completely destroy the narrative and flip it on its axis, I want to challenge the culture and end the stigmatization of my people, and most of all I want to make an impact that can’t be ignored as I have been my entire life.

I also want to let people know that although I am political, being a brown person in America is not inherently of political nature. I was forced into this political nature and I want to reiterate it is perfectly fine for brown people to do things without politics following them into every or any aspect of their life. Many of my songs might not even have many references to politics or political beliefs in it, because I am a human being as well that sometimes wants to make music that is simply enjoyable. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how one sees it, I have been pushed into such a position that being political and revolutionary is in the fabric of my very being.