Self Xpression and TruthSpeaks Lounge: Be Hip-Hop! Be Truth! Speak!



WHAT DOES YAMBUKA MEAN TO YOU? DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHEN YOU HAD OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME.

YAMBUKA, to me, represents transition from point in life to another. Crossing over the hurdles of struggle and tribulation to see the worth and purpose of life, and to progressively attack it by any means necessary.

In my opinion, MY life has been one big huge obstacle that was divinely designed to build me into the soldier I was created to be in order to serve Allah's purpose for me, my family, and community.





FAVORITES:

Quote: Without Struggle, There is NO Progress!-- Frederick Douglass
Progression is ricocheting dream's light off of reality's mirror! - Self Xpression

Music: Bird Parker, Lupe Fiasco, India Arie, Gil Scott-Heron, Black Thought, many, many more! Last concert attended was The Roots, Kweli, and Mos Def (2008- Jacksonville, Fl)

TV Shows, Movie genre/actors/flicks: The Boondocks, The Wire, All Spike Lee movies, The Matrix, V for Vendetta, Surrogates...

Author: Self Xpression, Carter G. Woodson, Ni'am Akbar, Sister Souljah, Upton Sinclair, Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Maya Angelou




WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2012?

Continue to progress in being the best me for Allah, my family and community. To continue to build all of the aspects of TruthSpeaks Lounge; the website, the online radio show, the national poetry scene, and the print aspect, having a foothold on the Midwest region.




WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL INFLUENCES/ MENTORS/ BLUEPRINTS/ IDOLS?

Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, The Black Power Movement, The Bebop Jazz Movement, The Harlem Renaissance, Hip-Hop Culture, My Family, My Grandmother, My male best friend, My Female best friend. My first book of poetry was from Langston Hughes, and I still have it 15 years later.



HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF YOUR: INDUSTRY/ LOCAL SCENE/ OUR NATION/ OUR ECONOMY?

I'm hopeful with many aspects in my city despite the current climate of violence, poverty, and poor education, because my generation, is in my opinion, the resurgence of the revolutionary spirit that has existed since slavery, and with generations after me, the rebel/ revolutionary spirit is getting more vision, finding a path, and is primed in direct more and more, or LEAD more to and on that path.




WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS?

Being able to fully dictate your situation, in every aspect of life.




WHAT'S YOUR VISION FOR A PERFECT SOCIETY?

A society without boundaries, without limits, and with a complete understanding of themselves first, their community second!




Self Xpression and TruthSpeaks Lounge: Be Hip-Hop! Be Truth! Speak!