About AWKWORD

“Anything a writer writes should be written with the urgency of someone holding a gun in their mouth.” — Maya Angelou

Success is the best revenge

AWKWORD, ‘The People’s Champ’, is the Writer, Hip Hop/Rap Artist and Activist behind World View, the 1st-ever 100% For-Charity Global Hip Hop Project, featuring contributions from every continent, approximately 20 countries and every United States region. Brought to you by DJBooth.net, End of the Weak (EOW) and The Morgan Stanley Foundation, the album boasts production from Domingo, Harry Fraud, The White Shadow, Tranzformer, ATG and many more, as well as guest emcee appearances from the likes of Joell Ortiz, Sean Price and KRS-One… AWKWORD — who is donating all proceeds from his World View project to Aim to Live, a 501c3-registered nonprofit dedicated to educating and empowering urban youth — has appeared on/in Urb Magazine, XXL, The Source, Hip Hop DX, Nah Right, DJ Booth, 2DopeBoyz, Vlad TV, The Hip Hop Chronicle, Kevin Nottingham, IndieHipHopNet, Ashley Outrageous, Refined Hype, BuckMarleyXXX, Rap Is Outta Control Radio, Hip Hop Nation Sirius XM, Revolt Radio, Israel National Radio, Daily Kos, The Nation, Huffington Post, and many more! For more information on AWKWORD and World View, visit http://AWKWORDrap.com. To talk to AWKWORD, like him on facebook — http://facebook.com/AWKWORDrap — and/or follow him on twitter — http://twitter.com/AWKWORDrap.

INTERVIEWS

1. We Goin In [U.S.] – Print
2. The Bee Shine [U.S.] – Video
3. Cultural Hangover Radio [U.S.] – Audio
4. Ungovernable Resistance Radio [U.K.] – Audio
5. PROTAILZ [Netherlands] – Print

*** AWKWORD Links ***

Hip Hop was created out of disfranchisement, alienation and persecution (the blues), fueled by creativity, infused with rhythm and soul, and enhanced by innovation. It is at once (a) a protest song, a call for freedom through revolution (e.g., AWKWORD – “The People’s Champ” [prod. J. Glaze]); (b) a inspirational song, a call for human connection (e.g., AWKWORD ft. Baje One [of Junk Science], Josh Martinez & Queen GodIs – “All My People” [prod. JoeBlack (of Brazil)]); and (c) a party song, a call for ‘freedom’ through the reclaiming of our own lives (e.g., AWKWORD ft. Whatzisface – “Cheers“). The history of the black American, product of slavery, descendant of Africa, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, is much like the history of the American Jew, product of the Holocaust, pogroms and the Inquisition, descendant of Palestine, Russia, Poland. Although the commercial success of rap music can be attributed to an increase in popularity amongst white, Christian suburbanites, the culture of Hip Hop’s home is in the ghetto. The first ghetto was inhabited by Jews in Europe — this is the source of the term. The ignorant — white and black — ask how AWKWORD got into Hip Hop. Get Your Mind Right: AWKWORD IS Hip Hop!

AWKWORD, The People’s Champ, sees, sleeps, shits, spits and struts pre-Giuliani Hip Hop. Growing up an angry Jew worker-bee in a WASP nest, he found solace in the written word, the recorded song, and the live show. A straight-A student, running from cops, suspended from school for fighting, AWKWORD was forced to learn to filter his anger and alienation (awkwardness) through his words and his music. With a graffiti writer’s ethic, AWKWORD raps for the everyman and everywoman, those looking for a little piece (or peace), striving to represent, or to at least be represented.

AWKWORD — today an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Guardian of Liberty — has been affiliated with various anti-racist activist groups, leading actions across the country. His first foray into live Hip Hop performance was as a senior in high school, as the ‘headliner’ at a Diversity Day event he created with the Anti-Defamation League. His next opportunity came not too long after, at a ‘Holocaust Remembrance Day’ event he was asked to co-chair by a top History teacher. Before he left to study English and Sociology at Vassar College, he was the only non-adult or Hip Hop performer at a townwide annual Martin Luther King Day event. At Vassar, AWKWORD performed at various political and Hip Hop events, as well as parties; served as a leader of the Student Activist Association and Prison Reform Movement; worked at a Poughkeepsie after-school program and teen center; and volunteered at Green Haven (maximum security) Prison, an alternative-to-incarceration center, and the local soup kitchen.

It didn’t take too long after graduating for AWKWORD to land gigs at the Nuyorican, Bowery Poetry Club, Knitting Factory, etc., and form a Hip Hop crew/LLC known as Sub-Way Stiles, which featured himself and The Cool Kids affiliates Whatzisface and Blended Babies, as well as spoken word poet Voice1 and DJ & Engineer for Twista, DJ Syzygy.

Over the years, AWKWORD’s aesthetic has not altered much, signifying his dedication to the cause; but his lyricism and access to incredible music production, mixing and mastering, has brought his music to a new level.

AWKWORD, sponsored by Elemental Magazine (R.I.P.) early in his career, has performed for crowds nationwide alongside the likes of Grandmaster Caz, Masta Ace, J-Live, Asheru, Jabba (Hip Hop Pantsula) of South Africa, Cunninlynguists, Pumpkinhead and Poison Pen. His songs and videos have been featured by Urb Magazine, XXL, The Source, Hip Hop DX, Nah Right, DJ Booth, 2DopeBoyz, Vlad TV, The Hip Hop Chronicle, Kevin Nottingham, IndieHipHopNet, Ashley Outrageous, Refined Hype, BuckMarleyXXX and many more. His music — spun on Hip Hop Nation Sirius XM, Rap Is Outta Control and FM stations worldwide — can be purchased at iTunes (US; Australia/New Zealand; Canada; UK/Europe; Japan; and Mexico), Amazon MP3, Spotify, Myspace Music, MediaNet, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody, Nokia, Shockhound, Napster, Thumbplay, IMVU, Amie Street, Limewire, Sony Connect, Lala, etc.

After releasing “the Sub-Way mixtape” as part of the national Hip Hop coalition Sub-Way Stiles, AWKWORD dropped an EP, a double-single, and then his solo debut LP “See the Light“. This album, as detailed here, uniquely influenced AWKWORD’s forthcoming 100% For-Charity Global Hip Hop project, World View.

To date, AWKWORD has released nine singles — FOR 100% CHARITABLE DONATION SALE — off the World View album:

• AWKWORD ft. KRS-One, Dug Infinite & Brimstone127 – “Radio 2.0″ (prod. Vice Souletric)
• AWKWORD – “Thank You (A Tribute To My Mommy)” (prod. ATG)
• AWKWORD ft. ILL BILL, El Gant, Tenacity & Blame One – “Metal Music” (prod. Tranzformer)
• AWKWORD ft. Sean Price, The Kid Daytona & The Incomparable Shakespeare – “Bars & Hooks (Keep It Moving)” (prod. Harry Fraud)
• AWKWORD ft. Sha Stimuli & Viro the Virus – “The World Is Yours” (prod. Dominant1 [Malawi])
• AWKWORD ft. GuessWho? – “Doctor Doctor” (prod. MajoR R.E. [Malaysia])
• AWKWORD ft. Jade Foxx – “The Dating Game – Revisited” (prod. Flam & Aksim [Finland])
• AWKWORD ft. Punchline, Shabaam Sahdeeq & Beretta 9 (Killarmy) – “The People’s Champions” (prod. Harry Fraud)
• AWKWORD ft. C-Rayz Walz & Reks – “Imperialism” (prod. Jonny Lupo [Moldova])

Click here to listen/download/purchase.

Click here to learn more about the movement.

But that is not all. AWKWORD continues to make moves with music, staying true to his 25/8 ethic.

Since the summer of 2010, AWKWORD has released two HD music videos:

On March 22, 2011, AWKWORD and fellow New York City-based emcee Y-Love released via RockTheDub.com (RTD) “Mr. President (The Wisconsin Song)”, a WORKERS RIGHTS ANTHEM produced by The White Shadow of Norway. This song — the lead single from RTD’s 5-Year Anniversary Compilation FiF has been featured by Huffington Post, The Nation and Daily Kos.

[FREE: Song Download. Customizable Ringtone - Send to Phone. Youtube Video (featuring exclusive live Wisconsin protest footage!).]

NEW INTERVIEW with Hip Hop Dependency COMING SOON!