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Jalal Mansur Nuriddin

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Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin,The Grandfather Of Rap, born in Brooklyn, New York, 1944, is one of the founding members of The Last Poets, a group of poets and musicians that evolved in the 1960s out of the Harlem Writers Workshop in New York City. Devout Muslim, poet, acupuncturist, and martial art exponent, He was incarcerated and was given early release on condition that he join the Army, where he trained as a paratrooper but was imprisoned again for refusing to salute the Flag. He received an honourable discharge and went to work for a bank on Wall Street. He converted to Islam and learned to spiel, an early form of rap, which he called "spoagraphics" or "spoken pictures". His talent and genius with words and rhythm are renowned. He joined The Last Poets shortly after their first album Right On, which was the soundtrack to a movie of the same name. His name at the time was "Alafia Pudim", but he Islamicized it, changing it to the name by which he is known today. Jalal soon became the band leader, and as members came and went, the main catalogue of The Last Poets consisted of works by himself and fellow poet and friend, the late Suleiman El-Hadi.

They produced numerous records for Celluloid Records, as well as a host of other labels. Jalal is working on his autobiography. He recently wrote the foreword to Malik Al-Nasir's poetry anthology "Ordinary Guy", published in the UK by Fore-Word Press Ltd.[1]


Lightnin' Rod was the pseudonym of Alafia Pudim and he released his seminal Hustlers Convention LP featuring tracks like Sport and Spoon and Coppin' Some Fronts For The Set in 1973. Most of the lyrics deal with the way of living in ghettos, i.e. hustling, drugs, gambling and money. A sequel, The Hustlers Detention is purportedly in the pipeline.

Jalal spends his time between England and France. He has recently appeared live with the great saxophonist Byard Lancaster.


Selected Discography/Guest Appearances:

The Last Poets:

The Last Poets (LP) This Is Madness (LP) Chastisement (LP) At Last (LP) Jazzoetry (LP) Delights Of The Garden (LP) Oh My People (LP) Freedom Express (LP) Scatterrap / Home (LP)


Long Enough (12")


Lightnin' Rod:

Doreilla Du Fontaine (with Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Miles)/ Hustlers Convention (LP)

Jalal:

Mean Machine (12", with Grandmaster DST) Mean Machine '90 / On The One(LP) The Fruits Of Rap (LP) Science Friction (LP) Mankind (10")

Material: The Third Power LP. Jalal features on E Pluribus Unum and Power Of Soul./ Working Week 12": Jalal features on Stella Marina./ Apollo 440: Dude Descending A Staircase LP. Jalal features on Hustler Groove and The Children Of The Future./ Cosmo Vitelli: Video LP. Jalal features on Science Affliction./ Silent Poets :Words and Silence LP. Jalal features on Inquizative, Derivative, and The Children Of The Future./ Faya Dub:Sings and Plays LP.Jalal features on Reggae Monk./ Seven Dub 12": Jalal features on Land Of The Lost.

External links