This book unveils the invisible faces and places of Mexico, and serves to bring them from obscurity to light, from opacity to transparency, and from invisibility to tangibility, while showcasing their history, beauty and strength.
Available Now. For more information visit
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*Portions of the proceeds of this book go to the library and Museo de las Culturas Afromestizas of Cuajinicailapa*
NATION19 MAGAZINE Nation19 / APDTA: The Art Issue # 03 Table Of Contents Gobekli Tepe
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Cappadonna 8 - 10 A day in the life of... 11- 18 The Art of Levitation 19 - 20 The Art of All HipHop
21 - 24
World Tour of Art
26 - 42
The Art of Mourning in America 43 - 46
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Nation19 2012 Double Take!
48 - 66
The Art of Nas
69 - 74
THE ART ISSUE www.nation19.com #APDTA #nation19 Send info, comments, resumes, advice, donations, time, talent to:
Mobile Regime, LLC c/o Nation19 / APDTA PO BOX 27431 Scottsdale AZ 85255 www.nation19.com get@nation19.com 623.239.1913 Office / Sales Nation19™, APDTA®, New Aura™, Radio Bums® Baby Planes™ are registered trademarks and service marks of Mobileregime, LLC
This issue is dedicated to the loving legacy of Masaniai Leiato Tuiasosopo (GG) Nation19 Magazine would not exist if not for the support and encouragement of the following: Sylvester McGill Muhammad, Jaqueline Stephenson (Graca), Shafar Khaaliq, Hadiyah & Ahmad Muhammad Ali, T.H.E.M., T.H.M.L.F., Jameelah Xochitl Medina, M.Ed, Ronald Muhammad (PHX) Dr Ashahed Muhammad, Bro Tim 6 X, Eric Bonner (MI), Micheal X Courtney, Matt Djref Knight, Ronoko Rashidi, Jamie Maussan, Muhammad Ali, Cherie M. F., Eric & Jane Elizabeth Mitchell, Jason & Sue Pereira, Lincoln Taula, Trent and Vanesha Foisia, Mykelti Mitchell, Joseph Stephen Jr., Jerome “Shorty” Muhammad, Bro Jesse Blog, Nadra Crawford, Allhiphop.com, Global Grind, Russell Simmons, Bing Worthington, Shamaya Jordon, Abel Muhammad, Johnny Cupcakes, Jasiri X, Erykah Badu, Bro Don Enoch, Nasir Jones, Gabriel Vardez, Brother Ali, Jake Schaefer, Chuck Creekmur, Fiendz, Erykah Black Miss America, Francios Baptiste, Alvin Lacabe, Rolandoe Watson, Lordz of Finese, Chonz & Radio Bums® Crew: Toney Tone, DJ Chino DJ Petey, Sabatage, DJ Bedz, Buhrmgotti, Tony V, DJ Amen, Dizzy D, DJ Baby Boy, Spoken words, Mr Choc (Beat Junkies), Food Chain, Daniel “Dan Dan” Muhammad, Flip The Bird Entertainment Honolulu, Syze One, Caleb Pereira (American Samoa), Steven Muhammad (PHX), Alberto Alvarez, Malik Turner, Wakeel Allah, Shahida Muhammad, Enoch 7th Prophet & DJ Earth 1NE, Bro. Hasaun, Peeps @ King and Duck, Peeps @ Dub show, Peeps on instagram, Peeps on Facebook, Peeps @ CSU (Metro)
Editors Queen Muhammad Ali Masaniai Muhammad Ali Art Direction & Layout/Design Hakeem Khaaliq Nation19 / APDTA Issue #Tres (3) Writers
Queen Muhammad Ali Masaniai Muhammad Ali Joey Belk (PHX) Shahida Muhammad (PA) Antonio Urzi (Italy) Job Bakama (South Africa) Mario Rodriguez (CO) Yonasda Lonewolf (PHX) Abel Muhammad (CHI)
Cover Photo Matt Salacuse Photography Hakeem Khaaliq
Antonio Urzi (Italy) Queen Muhammad Ali Marshall Franklin Jonathan Mannion Francis Phan Elilta Tewelde (Senegal) Ronald Muhammad Sabrina Hassan Weyni Hussein Jaded Rabies
Music Editor Masaniai Muhammad Ali Translator Jahsua Muhammad Ali Proofing Hadiyah Muhammad Ali Management Int. Business Legal Accounting Sales
Mobile Regime, LLC Alberto Alvarez Christy Dorfmann, Esq. Manuel Ramirez, CPA Ronald Muhammad
Models
Rob Gooding Jr. Shawn Nichols Andrew Greaves Jesse Onorato Josh Whiteneck Queen Muhammad Ali Masaniai Muhammad Ali Nasir Jones aka Nas Cappadona Hassan Diop Lauren Vey Delfinzo Rodriguez Bing Worthington Jr. Jesse Roberts KayLynn Griffin Brittany Blakes Sergio Bakalos
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Gobekli Tepe, Located in Sanliurfa (South East Turkey), over 500 miles away from the crowded streets of Istanbul, is the most advanced archaeological site ever discovered. In 1994, a local shepherd noticed a tip of a stone sticking out of his field. He began to dig, eventually unearthing a 19ft pillar. This Kurdish shepherd had stumbled on one of the most astonishing archeological discoveries in Modern Times. For 13 years, a German archeological team has been digging into this hill carbonating as deep as they go, and it has taken them 13 years to uncover only 5% of this gigantic civilization. Found beneath this hill are circles upon perfect circles of stone. Out of these circles are 19ft T shaped sculptures weighing 15 tons per column. There is no coincidence these columns are “Tee� shaped and 19ft. APDTA! Archeologist believe the site to be over 12,000 years old, predating several thousands of years earlier than the Stone Henge and the Great Pyramid. How did this ancient site remain in pristine condition for over 12,000 years? This civilization was buried carefully under over 20ft of sand to either preserve, or maybe hide.
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NATION19 SAT DOWN WITH THE RAP ANGEL /WU-TANG VETERAN
FOR A QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION YOU DONT WANT TO MISS
SMS Interview By Hakeem Khaaliq PHOTOGRAPHY BY Queen Muhammad ALI & Hakeem KHAALIQ STYLING BY QUEEN MUHAMMAD ALI LAYOUT & DESIGN BY HAKEEM Khaaliq
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CAPPADONA IS WEARING THE 19 STRIPES SNAPBACK AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL LIMITED TEE BOTH BY NATION 19 PHOTO BY QUEEN MUHAMMAD ALI
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CAPPADONNA Q&A What’s your favorite sneaker brand of all time? Nike’s What’s the most you’ve spent on a sneaker? $400 Where is the weirdest place you’ve seen the Wu-Tang logo? A fan’s foot How many times have you seen UFO’s? Twice. In the sky in Arizona and in Maryland. Snapbacks or skully, which is your favorite? Fitted Who is the most interesting Producer you’ve ever worked with? Jermaine Dupri If you had to pick a person in history to describe yourself, who would it be? Malcolm X, because he was a loner at the same time he stood up for people. If there were no such thing as Crips and Bloods, what would be your favorite color? Red What’s your favorite Kung fu movie? Five Deadly Venoms How fast did you write your verse on Daytona 500? 10 minutes to write that verse What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Banana Split by Ben & Jerry Skinny jeans or Hammer pants? Neither If you only had one book to read, what would it be? The Bible
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Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
Cappadona is wearing the Red Alert APDTA fitted New Aura™ and the “ALIVE” Limited Collectors tee both by Nation19.com Pick up Cappadonna’s new album “Earth Wind and Fyre” available digitally Feb 26th and in stores everywhere!
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All people dont think alike
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
Experience a day with some of the most interesting and talented people you’ll ever meet. Scratch with the number one DJ in Colorado, spar with a world renowned Grandmaster Eskrimadore, laugh with a film producer and creative director in South Africa, hustle flow with Hawaii’s biggest hip hop mini mogul, and experience close encounters with a fashion designer/ UFO-ologist in Italy.
CO HI
IT
CA
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GRIND 11
WWW.CALLBACKDREAMS.COM
SA JOBIE BAKAMA JOHANNESBURG , SOUTH AFRICA
Job Bakama In his own description: “I’m an energetic go-getter who lives, breathes and oozes Ideas. I’ve worn many different hats in the media industry over the last 15 years and I bring to the table an incredible amount of work and life experience. My assignments have included assisting film director John Woo, working a full season on the hit sitcom “Friends,” producing and writing 4 internationally syndicated radio shows, executive producing an award winning TV Pilot, directing music videos, creating social media campaigns, assisting acclaimed production designer Norman Garwood, and even music and cultural research for Producers Beau St Clair and Pierce Brosnan.” My Typical Day: Is any day really typical? If you have typical days, you’re probably doing something wrong. Hell even a guy flipping burgers everyday for a living should have “untypical” days. Is “untypical” even a word? So if I was to have a typical day, It would possibly go down like this: (military time) 0600: Wake up to the sound of my alarm. Look out the window and try to gauge the temperature before I roll out of bed. Lay there for a few more minutes and think about basically nothing.
0930: Arrive at the office (go through my todo list, mails, quick chats with the team to see where we are on our projects). 1000 - 1030: Pitch meeting with a client. Usually their initial briefs aren’t specific enough and one always feels like you’re guessing at what they want but such is the creative life. 1100 - 1300: Work on presentations, followup calls (find out why invoices haven’t been paid lol), emails, brainstorm, etc.
1400 - 1500: Production meeting on a show that has been pending for almost 2 years. Its a major and it always feels like we are so close yet so far (good news 0630: Wake up to the sound of my a new TX date is announced, and looks second alarm. I must have passed like all invoices will be processed in a out for a few minutes there thinking few weeks #fingers crossed). about nothing. Get up and out of bed and jump into super husband/ 1500 - 1600: Wrap up the day (wonder dad mode which means the where all the time went). Start the following in no particular order: commute back home. - Kiss the wife and my 2 sons (Luke and Josh) good morning. - Get my lil son Josh ready for day care (this alone takes about 40 mins. He’s almost 2 years old and not in any rush to go do anything anywhere for anyone). - Get myself ready. - Pack Josh’s extra clothes and snacks for day care. 0745: Finally get out of the house with Josh and drop him off at daycare.
1700: Pick up Josh 1745: Get home and have dinner with the wife and kids. 1830: Bath time with Luke and Josh, then get them ready for bed. 1900: That’s it, bed time...I lose, they stay up till about 2100 when they finally pass out from exhaustion. 2100 - 2200: Read. Read. Read any and everything I can. 2300: Lights OUT!
Forgot to add: 2315: Realize I kissed the kids goodnight but not the wife. She’s asleep so it won’t count if I kiss her now, make a mental note to give her one hell of a smooch in the morning. Then start thinking random thoughts (Why do some of the clients take so long to pay? How do we pull off that look on this budget? Is it already tax season? Why is integrity in the business so rare?). PASS OUT!
0830: Head to the Office. Jaded Rabies Photography. Www.jadedmedia.co.za - Www.facebook.com/jadedrabiesphotography
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CO
13 Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
DJ CHONZ.COM / RADIOBUMS
DJ CHONZ DENVER COLORADO
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado DJ Chonz is co-founder of Radio Bums, an independent record label, music production and music publishing company, and afternoon and night show DJ for KS107.5. Chonz is one of the most recognizable DJ’s in the state of Colorado and surrounding states. Over the years, he’s lead the station to No. 1 rankings in various categories including afternoon and night host for the 18-34 demographic from 2009 to 2011 locally and now nationally in 2012/2013. He’s been given numerous awards from the likes of Denver’s alt-weekly Westword’s “Best of …” issue including Best Hip-Hop DJ, Best Denver Radio and Best Online Radio show for a daily mix he streamed live on the internet. He was also awarded Best Afternoon Show from the Colorado Broadcast Awards in 2010. “DJing for the radio is no different than me opening up for De La Soul and playing A Tribe Called Quest, Black Sheep, Dilated Peoples, Blackstar, and things like that to cater to that type of crowd. I’m just happy to be in the game.” - Chonz
5:00 am: “Think” about getting up lol - Look at Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook on my phone. Maybe comment or do some of my own posting. 6:00 am: Get ready for gym and drink some tea before my workout. Feed our dog Rocky...When I give him his dog bowl, sometimes I still have flashbacks of when he chewed up my first APDTA hat, but lucky him I don’t hold grudges. 6:30 am: Hit the road to gym. 7:00 am: Gym beast mode with my personal trainer D.
also a quick chance to network with other peeps in the industry that are online. 1:45 pm: Hit the road to KS-1075. 2:15 pm: Lunch (I love Pho...ijs). 2:30 pm: Chill for 15 mins on the internet at KS-1075. 2:45 pm -7:00pm: Show time in the mile high city doing my radio show, while staying connected to the phone lines, texts, Facebook, Twitter...Insta...ok you get it lol.
9:00am: Breakfast/Coffee, log on the computer. Check out Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and update www. djchonz.com / ks1075.com if there’s something dope to put up.
8:00 pm: Family Dinner. Nightly News.
10:00 am: Hit the studio to do some recording.
11:30 pm: If there is no club I have to DJ at, I’m in Bed. If there was, I would already be at the club at 8:45pm with no family dinner and would return at 2:45am
12:00 pm: Handle any voice over work commercials etc for KS-1075.
10:30 pm: Chill while thinking about my goals for the next day and the rest of the week.
1:00 pm: Look at emails and handle any business affairs I may have regarding upcoming DJ events, radio, parties, and
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Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
CA
PANGINOONG GURU (GRANDMASTER) ESKRIMA
SULTAN UDDIN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Known as one of the fastest stick and blade fighters in the world, and the First Black martial artist to earn a Masters Degree (diploma #7) from the founder of Cabales Serrada Eskrima, the late Grandmaster Angel Cabales, before turning 21 years old. Grandmaster Sultan teaches the art of Eskrima nationally and internationally to students from as close as his hometown in California, all the way to Africa. His students range from professional athletes, and movie stars, to dedicated martial artists. In the past, he has played key rolls in the popular movie, television series, and video game, Mortal Kombat.
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Eskrima is the indigenous weapons based martial arts of the Philippines.
“Be true to the art and the art will be true to you.� - Sultan Uddin
Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
HI
FLIP THE BIRD ENTERTAINMENT
TASSHO PEARCE
HONOLULU HAWAII
The story you are about to read is true, but a “Day in the Life of Tassho Pearce” could not be disclosed to protect the innocent. (LOL) Just know he’s on his Grind! Born on the remote Japanese island of Iriomote, and raised in Honolulu. Tassho Pearce formerly known as Emirc (“crime” spelled backwards) is a clothing designer, but also Hawaii’s biggest Hip Hop artist. In 2004, the multi talented Tassho Pearce started printing up T-shirts to promote his record label, Flip The Bird. The clothing line spread like wildfire gaining such large appeal that his chic upscale T-shirts have reached the backs of Kanye West, Redman, Method Man, Lupe Fiasco and has fostered collaborations with Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons and Rasheed Young.
As an artist, Tassho has collaborated with giants in the industry ranging from No I.D., KiD CuDi, GLC and !llmind. Never forgetting his underground roots, Tassho has also contributed his witty lyricism and slick wordplay with respected underground artists such as the Demigodz’s Apathy, Evidence & Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, DJQ-bert and DJ Rhettmatic of the World Famous Beat Junkies. Tassho has also shared the stage with an even more incredible line up of artists that reaches across the Hip-Hop community, including Kanye West, Wu-Tang Clan, Common, Lupe Fiasco, The Roots and 50 Cent. Most recently, Mr. Pearce went on an international tour of Australia and New Zealand with Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples (Capitol Records) as well as select dates of the 2012 Vans Warped Tour. Tassho also just released his new single, “Higher” featuring KiD CuDi!
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Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
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UFO-OLOGIST /FASHION DESIGNER/ GIORGIO ARMANI STUDIOS
ANTONIO URZI MILAN, ITALY
Antonio Urzi In his own description I have a passion for fashion and design, but I also have a passion for something just as interesting and full of charm, that is the reality of extraterrestrials. I have had extraordinary experiences with beings from other worlds and parallel dimensions, and proof of this is continuously filming their spacecraft to show the world. Thanks to this fantastic experience, I am invited to international conferences around the world on the UFO phenomenon because my footage and photos are considered the best documents ever recorded in history, both in quantity and quality.
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My life, many consider complicated because of the several activities that I do, but it is only a matter of organization. This is a day in my life: 8:00 am: Wake up with a nice shower. Soon after, start with a hearty breakfast. The power supply is a key point for a healthy and busy life. 8:30 am: I often start with work, which I normally organize and plan the day before. My work is interrupted frequently, because I
live an extraordinary experience of contact with beings from other worlds and parallel dimensions. I have a location in my house with photo and video equipment, where I film these beings and spaceships. My footage is broadcasted all over the world through specialized distribution channels. 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm: Workout at the gym. I love to challenge my body. Exercise/training is important to stress to the body but also the spirit. 2:30 pm: Lunch. I am very careful about what I eat, despite not being a professional body builder. I love to nourish my body with
protein foods, and I banish all junk foods or any food that is harmful to my health. 3:30 pm: Finish any work left from the morning. Most of my work is manual and creative, so it can be very exhausting and sometimes I have to skip dinner! It was like this recently when I traveled to Japan to work with Lady Gaga. I designed and created her costumes for her 2012 tour on behalf of the fashion house Giorgio Armani studios. At Armanis’, I work as a fashion designer for celebrities. Often when ships are at the base of my house,
I’ll interrupt work, for which I feel the call of physical/mental extraterrestrial beings. So I go outside because they want to let me know that this is their spaceship. This is also an integral part of my life. 8:30 pm- 9:30 pm: Dinner, I eat only protein foods, that is my obsession. After dinner, around 10:00 pm, I resume work until about 12:00 am/midnight. Lastly, I organize the work for the next day. My day may seem extremely stressful, but it is not. I also travel to distant places around the world to participate in international conferences on the ET reality, so as to alternate my life and make it dynamic and interesting for me.
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Written by David Scurlock Photo and Layout by Hakeem Khaaliq
How to levitate: The science of levitation Please don’t be confused with the illusion of levitation that street magician David Blaine perfected, or even on stage magical performances by American illusionist David Copperfield. This is no illusion to mesmerize eye witnesses and leave people spellbound uttering the words, “How did he do that?”. This my dear reader is an actual science known as “quantum levitation”, which was demonstrated by Dr Boaz Almog of the school of Physics and Astronomy at Tel-Aviv University. At a showcase in June 2012, Dr Boaz in the presence of an audience, put on a riveting demonstration in which a disk shaped superconductor was shown levitating above a magnetic track. So maybe it still leaves you with the question of, “How did he do that?”. As explained in detail by Dr. Boaz Almog, he postulates that the ability of the disk to levitate above the magnetic track was based on the phenomenon of superconductivity. For those whom are not familiar with superconductivity -
Superconductivity is a phenomenon of exactly zero electrical resistance and expulsion of magnetic fields occurring in certain materials when cooled below a characteristic critical temperature - Wikipedia The disk which was a crystal sapphire wafer coated with a ceramic material called yttrium barium copper oxide ( YBa2Cu3O7-x), was exposed to liquid nitrogen causing the object to become a superconductor. When the disk entered the state of superconductivity, the object puts up a resistance to the magnetic field contained in its environment, ie the magnetic track, which caused the phenomenon of “quantum levitation” or “quantum locking”.
“How did he do that?”
So if we ask the question of what does this all mean? The answer could be a very intriguing future of science as well as life as we know it. Looking at the earth’s magnetic field which has similarity to the magnets used in the experiment, there could only be a matter of time when there are superconductors in the form of vehicles that levitate on the earth’s’ surface. Or lastly the UFO myth or phenomenon, which ever you want to call it, could possibly be a space craft that is simply a super conductor able to hover about the earth. We will leave that to the reader’s imagination, but we have discovered that the science does exist. Now let’s ask the question, “What can we do next?”
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ALL HIP HOP THE ART OF
Co-founder of AllHipHop.com, Chuck Creekmur, tells Nation19 his main issue with Hip Hop today, the reasons for the decline of the mainstream political artists, and how Dr. Cornel West made him overcome his fear of flying. INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY NATION19 / APDTA INTRODUCTION BY JOEY BELK LAYOUT BY HAKEEM KHAALIQ Photo courtesy of Apple
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Nation19: What does Hip Hop mean to you, and do you see Hip Hop as a religion now?
because it use to be mainstream, I would say back in the early 90’s/late 80’s?
Chuck Creekmur: I don’t see Hip Hop as a religion. I know folks that do. You know Killer Mike is a friend of mine, in a music more sense; he regards Hip Hop as a religion. Erykah Badu, she doesn’t regard it as a religion, but she says it’s more powerful than religion. I guess I would tend to side a little closer to what Badu says, that Hip Hop is certainly a way of life that has positively affected so many people, that it is indeed similar to a religious movement. It has unified a lot of people as well. Because people involve different social backgrounds and things. I guess the one thing I will say the issue I have primarily right now is the fact that it’s lacking in diversity. On a commercial level, I feel like I would love to see more groups with a conscious opinion, and more groups with a political opinion, more groups that speak a little more positivity to people that need a message. I think that’s where it falls short of the religious part of it.
Chuck Creekmur: Well there’s a lot of opinions on that. No one knows for sure. No one knows the exact answer to that. It’s hard to say with exactness why that is. You know, music changes. That’s a fact there. Music changes, the times change, and opinions change, and when Hip Hop was very conscious, these artists were coming out of the 60’s movement, you know, the 70’s to some degree, with
different mind states, because they were the children of the Civil Rights Movement. So I think from that standpoint, yeah they did have a different mind state than a current rapper, a different mind state overall. You know Reagan, even with the President, and the Bronx. The condition of the Bronx was way different at the time that I was born. I don’t think we can be too judgmental. So Hip Hop in it’s truest form is a
Nation19: What do you think in your opinion happened to the conscious part of Hip Hop
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“artists A lot of conscious forget that
you gotta be skillful at your craft before you can even be conscious.” -CHUCK CREEKMUR
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reflection of what’s going on in society. And so that’s my best answer. I mean I do have other opinions where there’s possibly other forces. A lot of people feel that way, and it may be true. There may be some facts to that. There may be a movement to keep those voices suppressed, but I think that movement exists period, even in mainstream America. At one point for example, the coverage of the war, past wars rather was a very hot topic, and nowadays you don’t get any coverage of war, or the people that suffer from it, or the impact. So anyways, that’s my answer (laughs). Nation19: On AllHipHop.com, do you promote any conscious type of artists? What direction do you see AllHipHop.com going in the next couple of years online? Chuck Creekmur: A lot of conscious artists forget that you gotta be skillful at your craft before you can even be conscious. (Laughs) That’s what a lot of people forget. That’s why I like Public Enemy, KRS1, and artists like that. Listen on Public Enemy’s first album, not that this is necessarily a good thing, but you know, they were posse’d up. They had guns, and you know all that stuff that people like in America. They came at you on the second album with a little bit of different, more conscious in your face. So we put the artists that are talented on the site, I mean that’s a given, and that’s gonna be the Drake or Immortal Technique, you know, you just have to be dope, but it’s great to have a dope album, or a dope song with a message. I love the conscious artists, but they look at Public Enemy and they’re like, “I’m gonna be Public Enemy!”, but no, you don’t remember The 98 Posse before that, you know what I’m saying, or Boogie Down Productions with the “Criminal Minded” album...You know, you kind of have to know your whole history. Nation19: What is something that AllHipHop.com is doing to give back to the community right now? Are you having any types of events or anything like that going on right now? Chuck Creekmur: Well we don’t have any events that we’re doing ourselves, but we do a lot to support other people’s events. We have something with the National Black Caucus over voter suppression. We did an actual event where we streamed live video and stuff like that. We’ve worked heavily with even the White House. I’ve been to the White House a number of times. I went earlier this past year on voting. We’ve worked closely with the City of Newark...Mayor Booker and his team on Trayvon Martin. A lot of stuff came out of that where we’re trying to help them create a pamphlet of some sort to educate the youth on how to interact with police. Myself and my partner who is also an editor on AllHipHop.com, we do something called “Physical Change”, and we take rappers to different cities in unfamiliar settings. So for example, we took Saigon to Baltimore and he spoke to kids in the Babe Ruth museum down there. Sha Money XL has formerly worked at G-Unit Records, now he works as an A&R at Def Jam, and we took him down to Wilmington Delaware and he spoke at Riverfront, and we spoke to kids down there. So we do things like that, and I just do a lot of speaking in general. Like this morning, I spoke to some kids in Delaware. That’s where I’m from by the way, originally, and so is Greg (Grouchy Greg). So you know, we just do general give back, we’re running a site. We attempted to start our own foundations and things but it’s difficult when you’re also trying to run a site at the very same time. Nation19: Are you planning on bringing all types of artists along with yourself to different states to do speaking engagements? Chuck Creekmur: I’ve been on tour with The League of Young Voters. We all spoke, myself and several artists in various cities. We spoke in about 7 cities across the US.
Nation19: Can you name a person that has changed your life? Chuck Creekmur: Dr. Cornel West. I say that he’s the number one person that changed my life, I mean aside from my parents, but I met Cornel West when I was at a pivotal moment in my life. He came to the University of Delaware, which is where I graduated from, and he spoke, and I interviewed him on the way to the airport. I had never flown in a plane at that point, and I told him that I was scared, and he was like, “Yo, you gone fly.” Believe it or not, he changed my life. I think he had a double meaning to it, and at that moment, it changed my life. So that’s one of the most pivotal moments in my life professionally. At that time I hadn’t flown in a plane since then. I can’t even imagine, I mean I’ve flown to Africa (laughs) you know so it’s just crazy. Everything that I’ve sought out to achieve in my life, I’ve kind of done already, which is weird to say, not quite, but in theory and fundamentally I’ve achieved everything that I’ve set out to do, and now I’m actually in a stage of my life where I’m looking for the next move, that I’m feeling to be in that little space. So I definitely say Cornel West, but many others. Russell Simmons, you know at one point we had an incredible relationship with Russell Simmons, and still do to this day. He was very instrumental in our development from a business standpoint. And even just hanging with him, riding in his car, (laughs) watching his movements, inviting us to his parties, and all the things that he allowed us to do in the early to mid 2000’s. He was just incredibly and profoundly influential in our growth, and also just our ability to see what could be. A lot of people have no ability to see what can be, and what they can become. I mean, I think I had a notion about it, and an idea, but I had no idea I would be teaching with Russell Simmons in the way we did. In fact, when I was in school I was a radio DJ and I found Russell Simmons’ cell phone number, or somehow I obtained it, and I’ll never forget the day I called him. I had nothing to say whatsoever. I don’t even know what I said. All I know is Russell Simmons said these very words, he said, “How did you get this number? Don’t ever call this number again!” (loud laughs) so funny, but yeah there’s many others, Chuck D, I could go on and on, but those are the first two that come to my mind. Nation19: What books are you reading right now that inspire you? Chuck Creekmur: I’m reading a book about fulfilling your dreams. Common’s autobiography, “One Day It Will All Make Sense”. That’s a book that I relate to quite a bit. The other book is “Put Your Dreams To The Test” by John C. Maxwell, and then the other is “Atlas: From the Streets to the Ring: A Son’s Struggle to Become a Man” by Teddy Atlas, a boxing trainer. Nation19: So what type of person are you? Are you an iPhone or Android type of person? Chuck Creekmur: I’m ALL iPhone. 100% iPhone. I’ve never had an Android, never will, and I don’t like people that do (loud laughs) no I’m kidding, but I’m team Apple, period. I’ve been getting Apple computers, Apple products since I started. In fact, when Steve Jobs died, I was as stunned as I was when I heard the news about Chris Lighty to be honest with you. I was very sad, not to give you too much info, but when I started on AllHipHop.com with my business partner, actually before I started on AllHipHop.com, because my business partner technically started on AllHipHop.com and I came on board that next year, I used Apple computers to get started, and that was before I even knew how to use computers. I just learned on my own, so I’m always gonna be team iPhone. Nation19: Thank you so much Chuck for taking this time out for us. Chuck Creekmur: No problem, thank you.
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A WORLD TOUR OF ART We on a world Tour with a camera man, shootin’ each and every place with the brush in their hand, Germany, Australia, DC, LA A A A (echo)
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Name: Elilta Tewalde Photographer /Director
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Eritrea, East Africa Elilta Tewelde, creative director and photographer, was born in Eritrea, East Africa and immigrated to California in 1981. From an early age, she was exposed to various styles of African drumming and dance. She learned that drumming is an instrumental part of the African culture. At the age of 16, she returned to Eritrea. This trip had a tremendous impact on her life; it allowed her to reconnect with her roots and gave her insight on the importance of heritage, history, traditional music and community.
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Photographer Director Elilta Tewelde
Art with a Cause, Drum Beat Journey
“When I moved to Chicago in 2005, I was surprised by the vast number of young bucket drummers that performed throughout the city. I was impressed by the dedication of these young street performers; how they hone their craft by playing the bucket drums as a means of income and an escape from street life. In the winter of 2010, while driving home from work, I saw a young brave man beating his bucket during one of Chicago’s coldest days. It was at that very moment that this idea was born. I thought to myself, ‘How amazing would it be to take a group of bucket drummers to Africa and expose them to the origin of this art!’ And here we are now! I feel that in this journey to Senegal, these young men will experience the rites of passage through the beat of the drum.” said Elilta.
of training. This journey will serve to further enhance their sense of spiritual and emotional well-being as well as broadening their options moving forward in life. The purpose of the film is to create a phenomenal opportunity to foster the creative minds of these young men. The film will be shared to encourage cultural communities to embolden their youth as they seek meaningful artistic expression.
Drum Beat Journey is a documentary film about four young African American bucket drummers from South Side Chicago, who will embark upon a rites of passage journey into Senegal, West Africa. The 2-week intensive cultural and music enrichment program in Senegal where they will receive specialized one-on-one training with native drummers, will allow them to make stylistic comparisons to their own self-taught techniques, and that of seasoned gurus who have perfected their art through generations
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02 Name: David Heredia Animator/Cartoonist
Santa Clarita, CA
David owns and operates Heredia Designs, LLC. His current projects include freelancing for Vibe Magazine as a comic strip illustrator, promotional designer for DJ Chonz & The Radio Bums, and expanding his multicultural series “Colores De Nuestras Culturas” which promotes cultural diversity through cartoons. His most recent project includes the development of his hilarious animated series called “Don’t Quit Ya’ Day Job” (www.dontquityadayjob.com) a series which reminds people that regardless of our obstacles, not to lose sight of our dreams.
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Name: Jeremy Geddes Artist
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Wellington, New Zealand
Jeremy Geddes was born in 1974 in Wellington, New Zealand. He is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Having studied painting in the early 90’s, Jeremy initially worked in video games as an art director. In 2003, he returned to painting full time as a photo-realistic painter and has since had his paintings published and exhibited around the world. He is widely known for the Cosmonaut series of paintings (shown above), and has illustrated for comic book covers, in collaboration with friend Ashley Wood. Geddess won the Spectrum Gold Award for his cover art for the comic, Doomed. His children’s picture book, The Mystery of Eilean Mor, was shortlisted for The Aurealis Awards, won The Crichton Award, and was named as one of CBC Notable Books in 2006.
“The only mental state that can ever allow improvement is to never be satisfied with your work.” - Jeremy Geddes
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Name: Banksy
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Unknown Artist
United Kingdom
According to author and graphic designer Tristan Manco of the book “Home Sweet Home”, Banksy was born in 1974 and raised in Bristol, England. Known for his contempt for the government in labeling graffiti as vandalism, Banksy displays his art on public surfaces such as walls, even going as far as to build physical prop pieces.
“There’s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place.” - Banksy
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Name: JR Guerilla Street Artist
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France
Born in 1983, JR owns the biggest art gallery in the world. He exhibits freely in the streets of the world, catching the attention of people who are not typical museum visitors. His work mixes art, commitment, freedom, and identity. JR creates “Pervasive Art” that spreads uninvited on the buildings of the slums around Paris, on the walls in the MiddleEast, on the broken bridges in Africa, or the favelas in Brazil. As he remains anonymous and doesn’t explain his huge full frame portraits of people making faces, JR leaves the space empty for an encounter between the subject/ protagonist and the passer-by/interpreter. This is what JR’s work is about, raising questions...
“I would like to bring art to improbable places, create projects so huge with the community that they are forced to ask themselves questions.” - JR
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Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
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Artist / Director Norman Maxwell @ His Studio in Los Angeles
Name: Norman Maxwell Artist
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Los Angeles, CA
Norm Maxwell is a native of Philadelphia, where he began his career as a young graffiti artist in 1979. During his studies at the Hussian School of Art, Maxwell merged urban street art with classical aesthetics. This evolved kaleidoscope of hues, textures and urban iconography have since taken on social issues with spiritual and religious undertones. With a background in art direction, his work with clients ranging from Madonna to Revlon has inspired a modern take on traditional themes of race and politics.
The Norm Maxwell Studio Gallery was founded in Los Angeles in 2007. It has grown into a renowned workspace that draws collectors from around the world, while allowing Maxwell to exhibit worldwide.
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Name: Mark Jenkins Street Artist
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Washington, DC
Born in 1970, he is known for the clever installations of his startlingly life like sculptures in urban spaces. This expert staging of his work provokes various reactions from passersby and expands his interventions into powerful performances. Although select work by the artist has been shown in renowned group exhibitions, including at the Moscow Biennial (2009) or Kunsthalle Wien (2010), and recently graced the stage of Berlin’s Hebbel am Ufer HAUEINS theater, Jenkins’s art is primarily made for the street. For Jenkins, the interaction between his sculptures, their urban environments, and the people within them are an integral part of the lifecycle of his work and are needed to make it complete. “I like getting people to question their surroundings, what is real and what isn’t. These days, people are so buried in their mobile phones and I just wanted to get them to look up.” - Mark Jenkins
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Name: Mentalgassi Graffiti Crew
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Berlin
To highlight the human rights abuses perpetuated against six individuals, Amnesty International has teamed up with German street collective Mentalgassi and creative team Lisa Jelliffe and Kirsten Rutherford from Wieden + Kennedy London to share their stories. The street art project titled “Making the Invisible Visible” is made up of installations that showcase a close up of each individual’s face. The image is invisible when looking straight on, but appears as one approaches it from the side. Viewers can also find a plaque with information about the individual and how they can provide support. The project was first launched in London in 2011 with posters of Troy Davis. Since then, the campaign has expanded to 26 locations in 6 European cities.
“Human rights are something that should never be neglected, and we just felt very good with the idea of helping with our work.” - Mentalgassi
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Hip-Hop artist Brother Ali tells Nation19 how he’s challenging Americans to connect their identities, the sentiment behind his latest album, “Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color”, and the power of making message music accessible, comforting and engaging. Interview by Queen Muhammad Ali Introduction by Joey Belk Interview edited by Masaiai Muhammad Ali Photo by Jonathan Mannion
Nation19: As-Salaam-Alaikum (Brother Ali), how are you? Brother Ali: Wa-Alaikum-Salaam, good. Nation19: Can you explain or go into detail a little bit about your album cover? Brother Ali: Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah) Well it serves a lot of purposes at once, a lot of different dimensions, layers and meanings. The first and most obvious one is that it’s just a literal depiction of what the album is. You know the title of the album is “Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color”, so the idea is that we’re suffering and we’re in a society where we’re experiencing so much pain and despair, suffering and death, and so we’re mourning, and I think because of the way that information is channeled, I don’t think we really realize that. I think a lot of people are suffering and think that they alone are failures, when the reality is that our society is failing. And we hear numbers from time to time, unemployment is up, this is happening,
that is happening, but the reality is that millions of people are losing their jobs, losing their homes, losing any kind of stability and sliding into poverty, and everything that goes along with that because our society is controlled by money. That affects us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. It affects our families. Every part of our life is really in danger and going through a period of decay. So we need to highlight that and talk about it. But then also, that situation, because it’s so widespread, people who have always seen themselves as being separate, it’s causing them to come together a little bit more. And the opportunity there is for a new popular movement among people like the “Occupy” movement. Not saying that that’s it. But you know, the idea of the literal kind of meaning of the album cover is that I found the flag on the ground, symbolizing that the things that this country are supposed to be about: Freedom, justice and equality; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
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All of these things, you know, human beings being created equal. Having certain rights. Those things are in really rough shape. They’ve never applied to everybody, but now it’s not even applying to the majority of people anymore. Now we’re in a new level of decay I think. So there is the symbolism of me finding the flag on the ground and kneeling down and praying on it, or praying for it. The other element is that part of why we’re in the condition that we’re in as a country, and as a nation, and you know the world is suffering from this too, but as a country, we’ve been separated based on our identity, based on race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, you know. We should be encouraged to see ourselves and identify our entire selves as complicated human beings, and so many different things and not just see ourselves as one thing. He’s Muslim, she’s gay, she’s Jewish, this person is White, that person is Black, that person is mixed, but the reality is that none of us are that simple that we can just be summed up in that one thing, and that none of these identities are necessarily enemies of each other. So I knew that some people would have a problem with, “Why are you doing your Islam thing on my flag”? But the truth of that is that’s my flag too, supposedly, I was born here, raised here, my parents were both born and raised here, that’s my flag too. And so it’s just challenging the idea that our identities are supposed to make us enemies, and encouraging us to see our identities as connected, because that’s the true picture. And the majority of Muslims, and majority of mainstream and dominant culture Americans, and listeners that I have, most people when they saw it, they knew exactly what I was saying. There’ve been some Muslims that would say, “Why would you perform Salaat (Muslim prayer position) on the flag of this country that is killing so many innocent Muslims?”. And then there are proAmerica guys that are saying, “I can’t believe that you’re doing that dirty prayer on our flag. I can’t believe you put the flag on the ground.” So extreme people on both ends are giving me hell for it, but the majority of people I think know exactly what I was trying to say. Nation19: Who influenced you the most in HipHop? Who are some of the Hip-Hop artists that you admire? Brother Ali: I always say Chuck D, Rakim, and KRS are the ones when I was a teenager that made me understand how powerful Hip-Hop could be in terms of changing the way that we live. I was a fan before that, but it was just more so that I felt more like about partying, which is important too, but when those guys came along it changed the whole way I thought about life. And Ice Cube was part of that. There are too many to name. X-Clan, and lots
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of people. And then later on I would say that my people Atmosphere influenced me a lot too, as much as those guys did in terms of giving me kind of the framework to write about myself and present myself in a unique and truthful way. I would say Chuck, Rakim, KRS and Slug from Atmosphere. I feel fortunate that Chuck has become a mentor and a friend of mine, and Rakim came with me on tour a few times. Nation19: Oh really? Brother Ali: Yeah, and actually I was blessed to meet KRS when I was young, when I was like 13. I went to a lecture that he gave and at the end they did a question and answer section and I got up and asked him if he would sign a copy of the “Stop the Violence” book that he did with Nelson George, and he brought me on stage and signed my book and asked questions. Nation19: Are you serious? Wow. Brother Ali: Yeah. Nation19: So we wanted to test your rhyme skills. Brother Ali: Aww you gonna make me rap? (Laughs) Nation19: (Laughs) Well I’m going to say a word and.. Brother Ali: Oh okay it’s a game, alright cool. Nation19: Yeah and whatever the first word that comes to mind, just say it. Brother Ali: But it has to rhyme, so I got to rhyme something with it. Ok. Nation19: Yeah. Ok the first one is, 19. Brother Ali: I would say serene. Nation19: Obama. Brother Ali: ...That’s terrible, (loud laughs) Nation19: (laughs), I know you got skills, c’mon (laughs) Brother Ali: (laughs) Well I don’t want to say the first thing that came to mind. Nation19: (laughs) Oh ok. Brother Ali: Cuz it’s yo mama... (loud laughs) I guess I got to go with that. That’s the rules. Nation19: (laughs) Ok lets go to the next one then.. Ramadan. Brother Ali: Life long starvathon, every month is
Ramadan, walk in the crib and I’m surprised that the power’s on.
when you are messed up, they’re just kind of like comfort food.
Nation19: America.
Nation19: What is your favorite song on the new album that you have?
Brother Ali: Malaria. Nation19: APDTA Brother Ali: I think you stumped me on that one. Nation19: Is this really Brother Ali?.. (laughs) I’m playing.. Brother Ali: Aww see..(laughs) I ain’t call in for all this. (loud laughter) Nation19: What is your favorite food? Brother Ali: Favorite food, wow. Sweet Potato pie is my favorite food. I’m trying to get all of that out of my life but yeah that is my favorite food. There is one thing that I could eat and that’s my favorite thing to cook too. Nation 19: So you said that you cook the Sweet Potato pie, do you like to cook a lot? Brother Ali: I don’t know if it’s “a lot”. I think my wife and I pretty much split it 50/50. Or really like 30/30 and then we probably order and eat out a third of the time, if I’m being real. But yeah I like to cook. My thing is I was taught to cook without measuring and without recipes. Those are the things that I like to cook when I can really just cook it how I feel it, you know what I mean? Season as I go. So in that sense I’m good. I can take a bunch of ingredients with no recipe and make a meal out of it, and it would be good. Nation 19: What is your favorite drink? Brother Ali: Ginger Beer. Nation19: If you only had one song to listen to for the next 3 years, what would it be? Brother Ali: I would say it would probably be one of the songs that I listen to when I need a little help, songs that kind of comfort you when you’re not feeling so strong. I’d say “Love’s in Need of Love Today”, by Stevie Wonder. Nation19: That’s a good choice! I thought you were going to say “Racks” on racks on racks by YC (Laughs) Brother Ali: Yeah..(loud laughs). “Like a Pimp” probably, but you know there’s certain songs that
Brother Ali: I think probably the first song “Letter to My Countrymen” is my favorite one. Both just because I think it’s a really pretty song. I think it came together really well, and it really sums up in a kind of simple, I think easy to digest way how I feel about people getting involved and having the opportunity to really work for justice. And then also that’s the one that Cornel West is on, and that’s like a cherry on top for me. When you have message music, you can go one of 2 routes the way I see it, and one is to just channel all their anger and frustration and rage that we have about the injustice in the world, and just get it out. And that’s good, and it’s important to do that, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. We don’t need to apologize for that. But that doesn’t win anybody over to our side. If anything, that makes them more defensive. So I think it’s important that we balance things with lyrics that’s inviting, that feels engaging, accessible, comforting and welcoming to people who are just living life and not even thinking about what’s going on in the world and makes them feel invited and welcomed. So that’s kind of what that song is. It’s easy to make music about how mad we are. You can do that all day. There’s never a shortage of anger, but there’s a shortage of love and that’s one of the things that Cornel West is really big on and has really helped me to understand is that, if you just want to be right, then go ahead and just spit truth out your mouth like a gun everywhere you can get it, every chance you get. And you’ll be right, but do you just want to be right, or do you actually want to encourage a change, and nurture change. And if you’re trying to change then you need to lead people, and you can’t lead people unless you love them. So you have to deal with people in a loving way and I know he gets that from the King tradition. Nation19: Thank you again for taking the time to talk with us Brother Ali. Brother Ali: Thank you and all the same to you. I appreciate it. Nation 19: As-Salaam-Alaikum
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Nation19 2012 Double Take A look back into the people, places, and events of 2012, from snow boards, mixtapes, Trayvon Martin Million Hoodie March, and pop up shops, to music videos, anti-Arpaio rallies, Dub Show, Hip-Hop vote summit, college seminars, and the world not ending makes you do a double take! Friendships in allv walks of life.
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Unknown Bear Paparazzi takes our photo.
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Jesse Rocking the Olmec tee and APDTA Orange and Black Snapback New Aura™
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Josh almost got abducted by wearing the Red Alert APDTA tee!
(L-R) Josh, Rob, and Jessie pose for a flick taken by Queen Muhammad Ali.
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Photo by Hakeem Khaaliq
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(L-R) Masaniai, and Queen go over last minute details @ The Dub Show. Both are wearing the APDTA Tag Camo New Aura™ fitted.
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(L-R) Ronald, Masaniai, and Kay Kay hold down the 19/APDTA table at The Dub Show! Thanks to our amazing crew, we sold out of everything, even the beanie on Ronald’s head was bought by a customer.
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Lauren was so fresh, she even matched her nail polish and tattoos with her Camo 19 tee and Camo Tag APDTA™ hat.
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Tuscan Rapper Yung Mac, sports the Camo 19 tee after making a purchase.
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Happy customer!
Just bought his Beanie!
Ipad purchases provided by Square™
Just bought the Sport n Play Muhammad Ali APDTA Limited tee
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(L-R) Lauren, Masaniai, and Kay Kay live at The Dub Show reppin’ Nation19!
Just bought his beanie!
So fresh n so clean, clean!
19 Mania.
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Inspecting new prints
APDTA Screen
Ink colors including our popular Glow in the Dark
Inside Nation19 Printshop and Warehouse
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The Ladies at the End of Summer Nation19 Ice Cream Party@ King & Duck
Game Over Tee
King & Duck Owner Sergio Bakalos
(L-R) Jesse Roberts (The Sweetness), Lauren, Andre
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“It was a 115 degrees outside so we rented an Ice Cream truck and gave free Ice Cream and t-shirts to children in South Phoenix” - Queen
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MUSIC VIDEO BEHIND THE SCENES
Photos by Queen Muhammad Ali and Weyni Hussein
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Directed Edited &Cinema photography By Hakeem Khaaliq 1st Assistant Director Queen Muhammad Ali Music Produced & Mixed By Masaniai Muhammad Ali Lyrics by Haas (Hassan Diop) Vocals Mixed By Michael “Cinematic” Muhammad Styling & Costume Designer Queen Muhammad Ali Location Manager Shaahazadee Khaaliq Continuity (Storyboard) Sulayman Khaaliq Production Assistants: Ronald Muhammad (Lead PA), Jason Zaeem, Weyni Hussein, Steven Muhammad
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Bing Worthington
All Photos by Hakeem Khaaliq except **
Venice Beach, CA Photo by Ronald Muhammad**
Nation19’s Hakeem Khaaliq Speaking at Metro State University in Denver, CO
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Colorado B-Boy Legend and Hip Hop Historian Delfino “Fienz” Rodriguez (Lordz of Finesse, Radio Bums) Rocking the Rodriguez Tee
Photo by Francis Phan**
Johnny Cupcakes
MC Lyte showing her Ice Cream of the Planet Earth tee!
Jasiri X @ Adiós Arpaio Rally (Phoenix)
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Designed for intelligence personnel of all backgrounds who want to survive strategically with dope swag! Available now for a limited time @
Nation19.com What’s inside
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The “Alive” Tee on black combed cotton (collector’s edition)
Military grade water Canteen
WWII authentic “God Tags” with personalized name (12 characters Max)
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Extremely soft and durable Nation19 vintage black jersey knit Pullover Hoodie
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THE ART OF
Nation 19 chatted with legendary hip-hop artist Nas and found out why “Life is Good” for Queens breed MC. Check out the interview and learn how Nas feels about his artistic legacy and cultural influence, as we discuss everything from his latest album, MAYAN PROPHESCIES, to his thoughts on UFO’s. Interview By Queen Muhammad Ali Introduction Written By ShaHida Muhammad Interview Edited By Masaniai Muhammad Ali LAYOUT BY HAKEEM Khaaliq
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Nation19: Back in the days we know that “biting” wasn’t really allowed in early Hip Hop, but early Hip Hop legends such as Rakim we know influenced your style, so how do you feel about rappers such as Jay Electronica or Elzhi who are influenced by you?
of people I grew up listening to. So the people who are into my style of rap, they could take the baton and pass it on. So it’s all Love.
Nas: It’s just a natural course of how it’s suppose to be. You know, it’s just each one teach one, and we all have been fans of Hip Hop music. We all know the difference between the more party style of Hip Hop, versus the more complex lyrical style of Hip Hop and the funny style of Hip Hop, the gangster style of Hip Hop. I try to combine all of those into one. So in me, you can hear some Kool G Rap, some Rakim, some MC Shan, some KRS One and so it’s a lot
Nas: I really thank God for the opportunity to be heard and to be able to impact the Hip Hop community in a way that I have been doing for so long. I just really thank the Most High and I’m humbled by it all because I think overall people get a lot from it, whether it’s writer style, whether it’s the direction of topics, selection of producers, selection of styles, and I get to say what I really feel and what I mean and the things that interests me,
Nation19: So what is your magnum opus or your masterpiece?
the things that stress me, the things that pain me, the things that make me happy. I think people that hear it can get some kind of inspiration from different things. I think collectively, all together, it kind of speaks to people. Nation19: Well we know your full name is Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones, what is the meaning of “Olu Dara”? Nas: You know what, I can’t remember. I knew it all my child life, Olu the Nigerian name. I can’t remember the meaning, I’m sorry that people have to read me say it that I can’t, but I really have lived with that my whole life and I gotta call my Pops and ask him and then it’ll just hit me again in my face, but of course, Nasir is Victory, Help, and Protector, Son of Olu Dara, and
“...in me, you can hear some Kool G Rap, some Rakim, some MC Shan, some KRS One...”
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then that’s my name, Jones. And so a lot of Nigerian people claim me because of my father’s name, Olu. And I claim Nigeria because I love Nigeria. I’ve been there a couple of times, Lagos, and there’s amazing people there. So yeah, I love it. Nation19: Who is your favorite artist? Not musical artist but a painter, a sculptor, a graffiti artist or anything like that? Or a photographer? Nas: Well today there’s a cat in Europe, Banksy. He does stuff that has a graffiti feel to it. There’s him, there’s the late great Ernie Barnes of course. I like the Basquiat stuff I’ve seen, he has a cool style. What’s the cat’s name that did a lot of stuff? African stuff it’s kind of almost
stick figure stuff from the 80’s. He had a piece in Harlem on FDR “Crack is Wack” (artist Keith Haring) Nation19: Can you draw yourself? Do you draw?
Nas: Greatest writer who ever lived, ever walked the earth. Nation19: Gill Scott Heron. Nas: Killer Poet.
Nas: I can.. I can. I could draw a little bit.
Nation19: Minister Farrakhan.
Nation19: What is your favorite sneaker?
Nas: King.
Nas: I gotta go with the Shell Toe Adidas.
Nation19: War.
Nation19: We’re going to play a game, it’s called the word association game, and the first word is: Destiny
Nas: Peace.
Nas: Fate.
Nas: I think of Wall Street because of the protesters. I think of all streets.. I say all Streets..
Nation19: Langston Hughes.
Nas unboxing his Nation19 survival Kit
Nation19: Occupy.
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Photos by Queen Muhammad Ali
“We all saw it, in broad daylight. People were getting out of their cars looking at it and it was amazing.”
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Nation19: Obama. Nas: First Black president. Nation19: And then the last one, Fall of America. Nas: Warning. Nation 19: Are you familiar with the number 19 and how it relates to the Mayan calendar? Nas: Yeah I actually visited Cholula Mexico and Chichen Itza and saw the pyramids, and walked around and got the story of the Mayan calendar. It’s definitely something to think about. There’s been a lot of scares in the world coming from Y2K and on down. So this one right here is really scary because the Mayan civilization was just really on point with everything else with the world. And when you look at the natural disasters, when we look at the ice caps, mountains and stuff like that…you know, you think about it. You really think about it. I try not to think about it because then I feel like I can’t get things done that I need to do. I try to just stay thinking about right now, and how I’m gonna keep moving. I have to just know it’s not going to end. Maybe we’ll pray loud enough, hard enough, and pure enough, we can change God’s mind..ya know (laughs). Nation19: Have you ever seen any “UFO’s” before? Nas: In Southern California, I think it was 2000, in broad daylight, myself, and a friend of mine. Also I was working with DJ Pooh and his crew, his man Solo and a few other guys. We all saw it, in broad daylight. People were getting out of their cars looking at it and it was amazing. Like the ones you see in the movies. I was just happy that I got a chance to see that in my lifetime. Nation19: What is your favorite song off of your latest album? Nas: Off my latest album? It would be “A Queens Story”. Nation19: “A Queens Story”, what does that mean to you, or why does that mean the most to you? Nas: It’s about the world that I’m from, and it’s about people and places that are not here anymore, some that are here, and a story about me and what I’ve seen. It gives people some history on myself, and it’s definitely very important to my life. It’s like going back to my roots in a way.
Nation19: We posted on Facebook that we were going to be conducting this interview with you, and thousands of our readers had questions for you, so we chose the best two questions. First question is from Charlene from Miami, Florida. Her question to you was, “What advice would you give to young artists that are trying to make it in the music industry knowing that there are so many challenges against them to fail?” Nas: Wow, I’m really old school when it comes to my thinking. We all know that there’s way too many artists in the business now, or people who use that moniker “artist”, but really aren’t. And it’s flooded with everything. Every gimmick, every this, every that. I would say, stay true to the music that you’re making. The music that you’re crafting has to be great. And then it’s about who you know and things like that. But the first thing that really matters is that you have great music. I would say concentrate on really making the best music you can make, at the same time thinking like a business woman and doing what you have to do and take it to the right people. It’s important to really make the music great. Nation19: Okay this is from Caleb Pereira in Samoa, the Pacific Islands. And he asks, “I know in the past you have worked with Dr. Dre and AZ, do you see any future collaborations or anything cooking up with them?” Nas: Well with AZ more because you know he is my boy and we talk about it all the time, we go over music and stuff. That I see. Dr. Dre, I’ve worked with him in the past. I see Dre, he just went to the next level. This man is the king of headphones. I think he’s going to grow in the technology world and be a leader even more than he is already. So it’s hard to tell with Dre. But you know I love both of them. Nation19: Thank you Nas! Can you give a shout out to all of our readers out there?
Yo what’s up y’all this is Nas, coming to you live on the livest situation. Right here, this is Nation19! Y’all know what 19 is? You better do your knowledge on that. Peace!
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