Malik Yusef

Malik Yusef (Born on April 4, 1971) is a prolific African-American spoken word artist born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. The name “Malik” is Arabic for “ruler” or “king”

Biography

Early life

He was raised on the notoriously rough streets of Chicago’s South Side neighborhood in the “Wild 100’s” and a former member of the widespread Islamic street gang The Blackstone Rangers. Diagnosed with Dyslexia as a teenager, he was reborn from his poverty-stricken origins and perceived word impairment with a silver-tongued gift for gab, later on earning him a place among the urban intelligentsia. He began his life as a hustler from the streets and soon evolved into a legendary poet of the streets.

Poetry Career

He is arguable the most critically acclaimed spoken word poet in the Midwest. This genre allowed him the aesthetic freedom to comment on a wide breadth of personal and social issues while his lyrics remain commensurate with his global vision, to encourage the benevolence in all people. The sheer brilliance of his work is that he doesn’t over-intellectualize his subject matter to a status of obscurity but instead maintains a common ground with the people by incorporating street vernacular against a backdrop of hip-hop beats, organic keyboards, guitars and horns. His voice resonates with a diverse population- part world-weary fighter and part poignant poet. The Chi-town griot has made his career as Hip Hop’s labyrinthine “wordsmyth,” reciting rhapsodic verses that chronicle inner city life growing up on the urban streets of the Windy City. An unapologetic ghetto scholar with a gift for penning rhythmic tales, Yusef presents paradoxical prose as an ever-twisting saga: A former gangster who condemns the glorification of violence, a man devoted to the principles and values of Islam yet displays adoration for goddess origins and female archetypes and a revolutionary figure inextricably linked to the black power movement yet whose icons include the classic Victorian English playwright William Shakespeare. He embraces the complexities of his contradictions, citing his internal “jihads” as the source of his creativity. His thought provoking words and fluent lexicon tell stories that evoke both the intricate depths and heights of ghetto culture, as well as global socio-economic woes. His proverbial skills are a perfect example of equanimity in a chaotic universe. But that special something about Yusef lies in his ability to be direct and ingeniously charismatic, whether musing on humanism, philanthropy, eschatology or women.

His spoken word artistry and exceptional flair have contributed to a myriad of promotional compilations including ASCAP, Sprite, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Chrysler, Verizon, Miller Brewing and Nike. Yusef was inspired by the gifted jazz saxophonist Mike Phillips (Hidden Beach Records) and their later collaboration “This is Not a Game” was personally selected by basketball superstar Michael Jordan to appear on the Interactive CD-Rom included alongside his limited edition Jordan 17 Sneakers in August 2002.

His enthusiasm for metaphors, similes, wit, rhymes and hip-hop music is clearly evident in his unparalleled passion for the poetry of the streets. The inspiration to formulate his distinct mosaic of words comes from his children, his dreams, the ancestors and other prolific poets. Some of his all time favorites include Langston Hughes, William Shakespeare, Haki Madhubuti and Phillis Wheatley. Yusef’s life is a folk tale on self-perfection and maintaining a strong disinclination to conform to the status quo, working to discover his own tenacity and intangible gifts to create a more idyllic life for himself and those around him.

Acting Career

The artistic visionary and storyteller got his first break when New Line Cinema Director Ted Witcher recognized the distinctive style of his stage presence and commissioned the young virtuoso to coach the celebrated thespian Larenz Tate in the romantic drama "Love Jones" which went on to garner a Sundance Film Festival Award and three NAACP Image Awards. While filming in Chicago, Yusef additionally made a cameo as a guest spoken word artist while the words of Darius Lovehall resonated throughout upscale bohemian communities.

He recently collaborated with Director Frey Hoffman (Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks,” Sa-Ra’s “Feel the Bass” f/ Erykah Badu and Talib Kweli) for the film adaptation of Yusef’s poem Hollywood Jerome. The two contemporaries previously joined forces for Yusef’s 2005 music video “Wouldn’t You Like to Ride” f/ Kanye and Common. Their brainchild film The Untimely Demise of Hollywood Jerome presents the gritty street drama, chronicling the tale of a 14-year-old South Side gang member who idolizes classic Hollywood gangsters like the archetypical Scarface and Godfather. Unlike the Hughes Brothers' Menace II Society, Hype Williams’ Belly or Sanyika Shakur's Monster which had a tendency to romanticize the hard-and-fast lifestyle, Yusef and Hoffman’s film openly confronts pop culture’s misrepresentation and glorification of gang warfare. The directors play with that duality – juxtaposing the reality versus media portrayal. The film culminates in the protagonist caught up in a police standoff on the opposite side of town. Cameos from Kanye West and Twista add black star power to the cinematography.

Television Career

No stranger to the small screen the versifier’s most noticeable performance came in 2002 during a featured poem entitled “I Spit…” on HBO’s standout show “Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Jam.” The segment during Season 2 which also featured artists including Malcolm Jamal Warner and legendary hip hop icon Rakim went on to earn the show a coveted Emmy Award. Yusef appeared as himself in the 2005 VH-1 Television Series “Driven,” a documentary surrounding the life of friend Kanye West, also featuring notable appearances from Common, Damon Dash, Jermaine Dupri, Jay-Z, Ludacris and Russell Simmons. He additionally made highlight guest appearances on ABC Worldwide News, WGN Morning News, BET’s legendary Rap City and MTV’s Hip-Hop Week

Music Career

The Great Chicago Fire; A Cold Day in Hell (Universal Records 2003)

He released the groundbreaking, The Great Chicago Fire; A Cold Day In Hell which featured a bevy of local talent including Kanye West, Carl Thomas, Chantay Savage, Common and Twista, documenting an amalgam of eroticism, religion, gangster folklore and hip-hop. The Source Magazine dubbed the debut “a classic” due partly to Yusef’s ability to pool this phenomenal group of local based talent onto one record.

Good Morning & Good Night (G.O.O.D Music Recordings 2008)

This Fall he will release his sophomore effort, Good Morning & Good Night on Kanye Wests’ G.O.O.D Music Recordings featuring an array of multi-talented instrumentalists and guest musicians including comrades Common, Raheem Devaughn, soul pianist John Legend and the backpack wearing CEO himself. The concept of this reflective double CD will display Protagonist vs. Antagonist/Lower Self vs. Higher Self, exhibiting the poet’s struggle between his internal dualities. Both discs Good Morning and Good Night will feature 12 tracks apiece, representing an hour of each day all while remaining true to his grassroots beginnings.

Tours

Summer 2000 – Carl Thomas Tour f/ Mary J. Blige Fall 2005 – “Touch the Sky Tour” f/ Kanye West & Keyshia Cole Spring 2008 “Real Thing Tour” f/ Jill Scott & Raheem Devaughn Spring 2008 “Glow in the Dark Tour” f/ Rihanna, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D and Common.

Personal Life

He is a single father of two children and throughout his life has remained steadfast as an advocate of urban revitalization and extensive social reforms. He is an avid pillar in his local Chicago community with initiatives such as the ‘For Yourself Foundation,’ a program designed to help combat illiteracy, ‘Girl Power’ which is a non-profit aimed towards uplifting and empowering young females and the ‘Drop Squad,’ consisting of a team who work to clean trash and debris off neighborhood streets. Throughout his life he has been devoted to the principles and values of Islam but studies a vast global array of culture, history and religions.

Collaborations

His work has been immortalized on a string of multi-platinum albums, particularly alongside his comrades and Chicago natives.

“Woman I Desire” – Raheem Devaughn - Love Behind the Melody (Jive Records 2008) “Welcome to Chi” - Dr. Cornel West - Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations (Hidden Beach Records 2007) “Crack Music” - Kanye West Late Registration (Roc-a-Fella Records 2005) “Wouldn’t You Like To Ride” f/ Common & Kanye West Coach Carter Soundtrack (Capitol Records 2005) “Know it’s Alright” – Carl Thomas – Let’s Talk About It (Bad Boy Records 2004) “Trouble Don’t Last Always” – Carl Thomas – Emotional (Bad Boy Records 2000) “My City” – Common - One Day it Will All Make Sense (Relativity Records 1997)

Awards

Chicago Music Awards – “Best Poet” (2002 thru 2008) Truth Awards – “Spoken Word Artist of the Year” (2001 thru 2005) 2006 Grammy Award (Kanye West Late Registration) 2003 Emmy Award (Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Jam)

Discography

Albums: The Great Chicago Fire; A Cold Day in Hell (Universal Records 2003)

Singles: “Wouldn’t You Like To Ride” f/ Kanye West and Common

External Links

Official Website Official Myspace

References

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0948849 (IMDB) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwYdltpe6kg (Youtube Def Poetry Jam) http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28152135 (Chicago Music Awards) http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1119154964&channel=823396007 (Brightcove TV) http://media.www.loyolaphoenix.com/media/storage/paper673/news/2007/02/28/News/Marvelous.Malik-2746953.shtml (Loyola Phoenix) http://www.thesituation.co.uk/us_interviews/05/malik_yusef/malik_yusef.html (Situation Magazine) http://album-2008.blogspot.com/2008/02/raheem-devaughn-love-behind-melody.html (Raheem Devaughn Album) http://www.truveo.com/Malik-Yusef-If-Roses-Came-In-Black/id/2801733757 (AOL Black Voices/Truveo) www.hollywoodjerome.com (Film adaptation of Poem) http://www.guidelive.com/sharedcontent/dws/ent/stories/DN-scott_0220gl.ART.State.Edition2.468007d.html (Dallas Morning News - Real Thing Tour)