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As we continue to celebrate Black History month, lets do it with Lakim Shabazz. He was one of the dopest rappers to bless the mic back in the early 90s who came with hit after hit.. He was all about raising consciousness and was even featured on the front cover of the Source Magazine along with Paris and Big Daddy Kane when they did a story on the influence Islam was having on Hip Hop. Lakim was down with the 5 percenters aka the Nation of Gods and Earths.
One of the things I really liked about Lakim was he would lace his songs with samples.. Most notable was him snatching Kwame Toure, than known as Stokely Carmichael and inserting him in the song ‘Lost Tribe of Shabazz’ where he said ‘Our People Will Survive America’. His albums Pure Righteousness and Lost Tribe of Shabazz are definitely gems well worth seeking…If you can find them, pick them up. I loved the production by Mark The 45 King and later Diamond D.
The other noteworthy thing about Lakim was he was the first rapper to head off to Africa (Egypt) to shoot his video…he wasn’t about renting women cars and fancy mansions he didn’t own.. He was all about connecting our experience with the motherland. Too bad his efforts came at a time when shows like video and radio outlets were shying away from lyrics they deemed ‘too militant’ or too Afrocentric