CHICAGO—Friday nights in Chicago are often marked by raucous and negative behavior. It was a different story on the property of Mosque Maryam for the Hip Hop Talent Show.
Friday night on Feb. 22 during Saviours’ Day was filled with laughter, artistic talent, a discussion on arts and culture, Nation of Islam trivia and more.
“It was a great way to kick off Saviours’ Day,” Brother Henry Muhammad from Atlanta, Georgia, told The Final Call. “I brought my children looking for a family friendly event to keep them occupied. They were impressed to see the sister actually painting on stage.”
Chicago hip hop artist Brother Qadir Abdul Hakim, known as “Goalden Chyld,” co-hosted the Hip Hop Talent Show on Feb. 22 and participated in the Decipher Discussion with producer Sister Margaret Mahdi Muhammad of the Mahdi Theatre Company and another Chicago rapper, Grammy-award-winner Che “Rhymefest” Smith, who was also recently elected to the Chicago School Board.
When asked the discussion question, “Who was your teacher and how did they influence your art?” Rhymefest explained what life was like growing up with Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) and his mom, Dr. Donda West. “She chose her son’s friends. She was my teacher. We learned a lot,” he said.
Goalden Chyld explained his music is inspired by his quest for freedom, justice, and equality for all. Aware of music’s ability to inspire action, he seeks to employ his creative skills as a driving force for the social transformations he desires to see.
He would rather his music not be referred to as conscious, he says, “until a new genre is made for my style, let’s just call this real music. You know, you know!”
The audience watched a documentary of the Unity Movement, Goalden Chyld’s work in progress. It showed him in the worst parts of the city working with what many may consider the worst Chicago has produced.
But it also showed the transformative power of the Teachings of the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad as taught by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan in changing the lives of people society has forgotten. The Unity Movement is an example of how lives are bettered with Islam.
“I had a lot of fun,” Sister Salima Muhammad from Detroit told The Final Call. “There was a spoken word by Sister Zia and Siste Zewdy Muhammad sang one of the Minister’s songs, ‘This Is The One.’
We also got a preview of the drill competition with a segment from Sister Margaret Mahdi’s play ‘Bronzeville.’ This is where we can see a wide array of the talent in our Nation,” said Sister Salima.
“There was also a 12-year-old girl who talked about how reading the Qur’an inspires her art. I was very impressed with her. It was a night filled with music, a brother played the trumpet (Vinson Muhammad) and visual artists. Friday night was special,” she added.
