Kamal Imani's Page

Kamal’s Historic Bio Kamal Imani was born on September 17th, 1966 in Harlem NY. At the age of 3 after his parents divorced his mother moved to the Bronx, NY with his 2 younger sisters. He was recruited by the Junior Black Spades gang at the age of 7 and started witnessing situations that he didn’t desire or expect. He later moved to Teaneck NJ at the age of 9 with the assistance of his Grandmother Mrs. Mary C. Webb AKA “Sugarpie” and his Grandfather Henry C. Webb AKA “Pop” whom many would mistaken for Gladys Knight and Redd Foxx.
Watching his mother struggle working overtime for Ma Bell/AT&T and being a latch key kid, Kamal developed a sense of responsibility and protectiveness. He also developed a early sense of entrepreneurship and hustle. After school he would help ladies take their packages home for a few dollars.
One of his favorite quotes is “Everybody wants me to be what they want me to be, I’m not happy when I try to fake it” by Lionel Ritchie of the Commodores from the song “Easy like Sunday Morning”. This is due to Kamal’s many pressured influences. At 11 years old his grandmother worked for the NAACP and when asked by her and his aunt what he wanted to be when he grew up he said “either in communications, broadcasting or an astronomer” His grandmother said “you should want to be the first black president” which bothered him, but he remained determined to pursue communications and also developed a love for poetry and hip hop (his Grandmother gave him African American poetry anthologies to read).
His stepfather Shaka Zulu was and is a Harlem based Garveyite and was very strong with his instilling of his Pan African ideology. Kamal’s father was and is a Jehovah’s Witness and constantly attempted to pull him into that religion. His mother and grandmothers sides of the family went to both Baptist and Methodist churches.
At the age of 16 Kamal’s 2 female cousins from the Bronx gave him the Autobiography of Malcolm X. His best friends taught him about the 5% Nation of Islam teachings and Kamal started hearing Minister Farrakhan on WWRL AM radio in NYC. This started him reading hundreds of books on spirituality, religion and African history. This is at a time when hip hop was new and on the rise and where Kamal use to write poems to please the young girls, now he was putting it to music.
He was invited to perform at high schools and house parties with his various hip hop crews. He later started promoting talent showcases at various Masonic lodges and making a good deal of money for a teenager. He learned a lot from those days and host several open mics to this day. He is also a radio host of the “Revolutionary Art Show” on Vocalized Ink Radio.
During hip hop’s Golden or Conscious age, Kamal was spitting fiery and conscious lyrics with a message. When he noticed the industry moving towards gangster music and he noticed that Russell Simmons was bringing a new wave of poetry back, he decided to let his message be heard through the poetry venue. In just 4 years he has emerged as a well known, loved and respected poet.
Kamal has been happily married for 12 years to his Bajan (From Barbados) wife and has a 2 year old son. His strong sense of responsibility for his family has caused him to approach the entertainment business with professionalism. He refuses to be viewed as anything but a top notch professional and rising star.
He is a graduate of Teaneck High School, Bergen Community College, and Computer Career Training Center and is currently going for his Bachelors online via New York Institute of Technology with the goal of teaching in the inner city. Kamal is doing all of this while holding down a fulltime job in the book publishing industry where he is a Title Release Coordinator.
One of the open mics that Kamal host is at the Technology Resource/Khepera Center in Englewood NJ which houses the home offices and bases for infamous African historians Drs. Leonard and Rosalind Jeffries, Rev. Herbert and Dawn Daughtry, B.W.A.R.E (Black Women Against Racism Empowered) in which he is an advisor and lecturer for, African Medicine Women, Circle of Colors, African Drummers and Martial Arts Circle, The NOI Study Group and Mary K Cosmetics. He constantly participates with fundraising, marketing and networking efforts in his interactions with all of these groups.
He has poems such as “Lynch the N Word” which is primarily aimed at the youth and is being used by classes in the Paterson NJ school system as an educational tool. Also, “Citizens Arrest Po Po (The Police), “You a Armchair Revolutionary” which encourages all of us to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. He helps keep the sister’s heads up with his dedications “Ms. Melanin”, Lovin Her Nappy Nappy, “I’ll Go To War For You and more!
Kamal also has a new wedding maxi single which can be found as well as his CD “The Mic is Calling Me” can be found at http://cdbaby.com/cd/kamalimani and http://www.myspace.com/kamalsupreme
Kamal is the writer, director and executive producer of the new film “Up In The Attic” which will be released in the summer of 2009. Stay tuned.
http://www.myspace.com/upintheatticmovie
http://www.upintheattic.ning.com
New website http://www.soulgriots.com http://www.soulgriots.ning.com
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Up in the Attic the Movie
Brief Summary....


Up In the Attic" is about a group of teenage young men, some of whom were B-Boys and Five Percenters in Hip Hop’s Old School Era. They resided in the suburbs of NYC and hung out in the Attic of one of the guys whose mother worked several jobs and had an idea that her son wasn’t perfect, but at least she knew where he was at. The teens were the most popular brothers in the area. Everyone wanted to get with them and many started doing too much drugs and crime. The lead character started realizing that they were about to graduate from High School and it was time to start getting serious. Then he found out who his real friends were. Some of the young men turned out successful and others weren’t so lucky. “Up in the Attic” also provides sub themes of domestic abuse and messages for teens regarding general respect. It also has its comedic moments. The film is scheduled for completion by summer 2009.....

For more information and updates go to http://www.myspace.com/upintheatticmovie
http://www.myspace.com/kamalsupreme

http://www.soulgriots.ning.com



Ms. Melanin “A Dedication to the Sisters”


Ms. Melanin is every woman of the African diaspora. Spoken word performance poet fuses neo soul and poetry to bless, elevate and inspire the sisters with beautiful music, visuals, inspiration and even sometimes humorous flirtation “You taste like beef ribs, you taste like beef ribs with hot sauce”. “You’re the top muse on the catwalk that I come out for my standing ovation to” “Black Like Alek Wek Exotic Like Grace Jones, Ethereal Like African Slave bones, Like Maat On her throne, When You were little they use to laugh at your skin tone, but I begged their pardons”.


Available at:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/kamalimani



Spoken word performance poet fuses neo soul and poetry to bless, elevate and inspire the Divas/Ladies with beautiful music, visuals, inspiration and even sometimes humorous flirtation “You taste like beef ribs, you taste like beef ribs with hot sauce”.


Got Inspiration? Check out the inspirational hip hop & R&b song “I Will Make It” by Niva feat Kamal Imani
“I Will Make It” inspires you to keep the faith and believe in yourself! What more can we say! Keep your spiritual energy up and rock to this. And, remember to look to the person on your left and on your right and tell them “I Will Make It”! Can I get an AMEN?
Produced by Brother Jonathan of http://www.Newblackmusic.net Soul Griots Music Group RAI http://www.soundclick.com/niva http://www.myspace.com/kamalsupreme





See the New Spoken Word & Hip Hop Soul Music Video
“ALL SHE REALLY WANTS IS LOVE” by Kamal Imani
Will this sweet young lady bump into the right man on the street or will she continue to hear the same jive talk as she delicately walks the streets of Brooklyn NY? Spoken word and hip hop Soul fusion by Kamal Imani.



Revolutionary Diva




Kamal Imani

(Poet, Actor, Spoken Soul Lyricist, Radio Host)


The NYC/NJ Based Kamal Imani is an internationally known spoken word performance poet and conscious hip hop lyricist.

He is an event planner, open mic host and promoter as well as a master of ceremonies for special events.
Kamal has performed at major venues such as The Basketball Hall of Fame (Springfield Massachusetts) Organixx Soul, Princeton University, Hampton University, Farleigh Dickinson University, Medgar Evers College, The Nuyorican Poetry Café, The Poetry Realm with Baub Bidon & E Da Story Teller (CT), The Bowery Poetry Club and the New Jersey Nets Halftime Show as “New Jerseys Most Talented” to name a few. Kamal”s poems “The N Word & Partners to the end are part of The Bruce George & Luis Rivera’s “Bandana Republic” Anthology. Kamal is also featured on the http://www.mtaafm.com African compilation which features his poetic dancehall track “RevolutionaryDiva”.

Kamal’s songs “Ms. Melanin”, “Blast Off”, “Revolutionary Diva” have charted in the top 10 of American Idol Underground.com for over a year. As well as many popular spoken word radio shows. He is also the host along with co-host Rawtalentillwill of “The Revolutionaryart Radio show” on Vocalizedink.org. His fiery signature pieces include the controversial “Lynch the N Word” and “You A Armchair Revolutionary”. One of his comedic crowd favorites is “Yo, I Copped a New Whip”. Kamal has opened for or shared the stage with the likes of Julie Dexter, Ragan Whiteside, DMoss, Flowmentalz, Queen Godis, Helena D Lewis, Love, Doug E. Fresh, King Sun, King Just, Big Bubs and Buju Banton to name a few.

His current CD “The Mic is Calling Me” is a top seller at his events as well as online. His current CD is entitled “Jump the Broom” and consists of hip hop and spoken word wedding songs that can be enjoyed and danced to at weddings an ideal for wedding gifts and party favors. Kamal has also begun creating his new CD which is presently “The Lost Scrolls” and scheduled for release this Summer. Kamal was recently the featured performer at Club Sugar Ray’s at the NJPAC in Newark NJ sponsored by Sameerah’s Imagination Entertainment.



See the new videos “Sister You So Serious”,“All She Really Want’s Is Love” & “Ms. Melanin” a dedication to the sisters on myspace!

For more music, videos and booking information regarding Kamal go to the following websites:
http://www.myspace.com/kamalsupreme
http://www.youtube.com/cipherkam
Purchase the wedding song downloads at http://cdbaby.com/cd/kamalimani2 or www.soundclick.com/kamalsupreme

http://www.soulgriots.com coming soon!

Call 201-964-6275
201-256-5082
Email cipherkam@gmail.com
Kamal Imani Promotional Gadget by Sidetraxx Digital Distribution & Graphics Get Yours!
Hot New Song Coming Soon “I Will Make It” featuring Niva the Diva”.
http://www.soulgriots.com http://www.newblackmusic.net


Lynch The N Word!
You A Armchair Revolutionary! Performed Live at the Bowery Poetry Club!



RevolutionaryArt Innertainment/Soulgriots Music Group

Niva

Check out the new emerging Hip Hop & R&B Soul Diva NIVA at http://www.myspace.com/officiallyniva
Lovin Her Nappy Nappy

It was Kamal Imani's first time performing his spoken word/Neo Soul song "Lovin Her Nappy Nappy" live at the Bowery. He wanted to rock it right for promoter and CEO of Brown Eyez Magazines "PJ". The audience was with him and they all had a good time lovin the nappy nappy. This song is a tribute and dedication to natural hair styles and the sisters who rock them. It is also laced with humor and flirtation. Enjoy!


Rehearsal I Will Make It!
Niva the Diva, Jasmine Cherrie, Kamal Imani & the Panache Band are preparing for their upcoming tour and feeling the spirit of the Obama victory. Enjoy this sneak preview!

Band Rehearsal Kamal Imani, Niva and the Panache Band