My Top 5 in no particular order: Nas. 2Pac. Jay Z. Lil Wayne. Eminem.
Why I appreciate their work. It’s all about perspective. Anybody can rap. Perspective is what triumphs. Nas comes with knowledge and lyrical dexterity. 2PAC came with heart, conviction, and justice. Jay Z has the swag, aspirational acumen, and righteously justified perspective. Lil Wayne has charisma, cool appeal and a championing perspective. Eminem has heart/passion, lyrical dexterity, and offers something very unique and universal in his perspective. Each has their own real-life story to tell. Each dealt with real obstacles, real consequences from the actions they’ve once taken, and a valuable perspective to offer the world.
Immortal Technique introduced me to the kind of hip-hop I became inspired by.
Lupe Fiasco carried the torch during the time that I really got into hip-hop music, and made it feel like one of my own brothers was speaking for me with his songs like Muhammad Walks, The Glory, Hustlaz Due, Dedicated, Where Do I Go, Ghetto Story, and the works that would follow…
Talib Kweli and Mos Def individually are also dope. DMX was mad dope too. Ali Vegas was dope as well. Lots of great artists out there.
WHY I RAP. I love to write. It’s that simple. And I’ve been blessed to be able to intertwine words with flow and rhythm. So, I like to rap the same way Michael Jordan likes to play basketball - because I was born with a gift to do it. It came natural and it also is empowering for me, as well as cathartic in the same way that it is for other writers. Beyond just having the skill to do it, hip-hop as a culture is as powerful as Islam as a religion. Meaning, it’s a way of life, beyond just being a practice. It unifies the disenfranchised and empowers them. Hip-hop is raceless, and the respect level of those who are emcees, graffiti artists, break-dancers, dj’s, and beat-boxers is transcended by skill level more so than socio-economic standing. And that’s real; that’s good; that’s powerful. Music is powerful in uniting people. And hip-hop music with it’s energy and rhythm is inspiring and productive and motivating in and of itself.
ON BUILDING SLOWLY. The good thing is you can write rhymes until you’re 40+ years old. I may get on in 3 years, or it may take another 15 years. No matter… I’m going to do it grassroots. Go on tour myself up and down the eastern shore board within the next 3 years God-willing; first I need to focus on increasing my streams on the internet platforms. I’m good at accumulating fans when I perform live.. I just let go and do me to the fullest - and people f&^$ with it. I have a unique and cool style they can relate to. If I already have 53 fans (official email addresses) I know I can get 100 fans. And if I can get 100 fans- I can definitely get 1000 fans. And if I get 1000 fans, I can get 10,000 fans. With 10,000 solid fans around the world, I’m living the dream.
WHAT I FEAR MOST. What I fear: aiming to make money and losing my path to that utmost (space of) intellectual creativity that inspires and fulfills me most.
Such becomes the concern when the iPhone’s distractions dull the sharp edge of discipline intended for greatness. I mustn’t be intellectually depthed if surface levelness arises upon my ebb and flow of life; but I SURELY MUSTN’T entangle the self in fancies and bountiful distractions of modernity AND as a result LOSE thy DiamondMind. Control and discipline must always lead the way - for without it I lose trajectory and flow with the wind without purpose (& thus without steadfastness). Reinforce discipline. And I reinforce purpose.
ON MY INFLUENCE AS A WRITER. What I see my role as being is a provocateur. In fact my first hip-hop rap name was Provocator. “Salloum is crazy, he’s way out there.” .. I have decided to take what many consider to be an extreme position/ controversial. I believe that it is the role of a writer (and somebody who considers the words I use as being part of my activism) to disturb people and to find the place that hurts and to push. HollowDreamz has been my most affordable example of this thus far. And do i contradict myself? Well good, to me that means I remain open-minded to possibilities. This is all based on subjective scenarios, not principles and morals - my contradictions, that is.. And thus, no such shame in that.
MY POETRY WRITING. The subjects that inspire me the most to write are social issues, love/romantic experiences, my hopes/aspirations/wishes, my past hurts/failures, and self-reflections. However, with my project Energy & Rhythm, such visions have extended beyond the tangible and into a world of limitless potential and possibility, on the spiritual and higher-conscious wavelength. Now do you understand why HollowDreamz outro was entitled “reach higher”. My projects run linear to one another in that sense. And cyclical as well, but you require the eyes and awareness to know.