when I found out about Islam and what
Islam is and what a Muslim is
alhamdulillah I immediately had to
convert to this religion at the age of
19 I felt like I had no choice as I was
saying to them upstairs like that
finding out just what it means alone one
who surrenders theirself to their
creator me knowing that I have a Creator
who created me I feel that I have no
choice but to surrender myself to that
Creator some people ask me like just at
dinner someone said what made did you
become a Muslim why did you want to
become a Muslim and my response to that
is it's nothing to do with whe I want to
become a Muslim or whether I don't want
to become a Muslim we have to be be
Muslims he was created by a Creator and
we have to surrender ourselves to our
creator that's it it's simple as that
so um and in surrendering myself to the
my Creator I stopped rapping because I
felt like I had to start loving the
things he loves and hating the things he
hate so I started I stopped rapping and
took myself away from certain things I
went to go live in Egypt for a while
so I hadn't R for maybe 3 years Etc when
I came back to England the IM from the
Masid he called he called me to the back
office and it wasid and there was lots
of people in in the Masid and loads of
kids playing having fun but there's not
much you know as Muslims we try we
struggle to find fun things to do
sometimes so it's like no one don't know
what to do kids are just ring around
chasing each other like what our young
friend here is this what's right now so
like there's not much to do so the IM
called me in the office and he said B A
lot of these youngers
they knew you before they all listen to
rap they know you as a rapper why don't
you go out there and do some rap about
Allah Islam Etc now I saying I was a
joke like we me and the IM we get along
we have ban with each other so I was
like come on are you trying to get me in
trouble go out there and rap he say go
out there do some rapping man they
they'll like it I said no way no way I
sto rapping a long time ago he said no
I'm serious talk about your journey to
Islam don't you have nothing nothing
like this that can Inspire the youth
they don't listen to me no more this is
how he making out like they don't listen
to us no more these youngsters go out
there you're cool you're young go and
rap to them about Allah Muhammad s
wasallam put this in don't you have
nothing like that so I was a little
freestyler back then and I used to
always make up little things so I had
this lyric about when I was living in
Egypt it was quite emotional for me
because I used to think about my past
life and what I left behind and all my
old friends and my mother and my sister
and just everything can I just think
come out here by myself in this foreign
country it was Ramadan it's and I'm all
alone like ordering food from a takeaway
shop or doing noodles and it makes you
reflect and I think to myself I'm doing
all of this because of this religion so
I made up this lyric and I remember
doing it there like I found myself in
the other side of this world all for
this religion off Allah revealed you
find b in a small flat by himself Quran
in between my knees books P upon the
shelf and as I read memories flash me in
my day everything looks different so
many things have changed to bow now this
world doesn't look the same all the
things I used to like I can't even like
again all the things so I made this up
and I remember doing it at the Masid
that day and when I finished I was
scared I thought they was going to come
to me and be like halfway through I
thought people was going to stand like
St full aiz rapping in the mosque and
woke up but they didn't do that and I
was looking at some of the old Asian
uncles and Somalian uncles with these
white beards and they was I was thinking
he's not going to understand me like the
way I rap is so fast Etc I used to be a
bit faster then it wasn't like how I now
this is a new style it was more I found
myself the other side of this style so I
was going to stand up like what is he
saying I don't understand but
instead that same old brother that I was
I CAU eyes before he come up to me at
the end Somalian brother he's like Mah
brother very good you have this on CD I
want to give it to my children Etc so it
had a good impact
so this is what it was never my plans I
want to be a poet I want to be a Ned
artist I want I I wasn't really interest
in these things I just know I wanted to
be a Muslim what what what is and what
is required of me and that was it so
this was never my plans to be like a
poet or etc etc and it was just that
that day some brothers come up to me and
they said can I have your number can you
come and do our University I said yeah
okay I went to the university I done it
then some other brothers called me and
said can you have my could you come to
to where this day three four years on
this is exactly how it's gone all the
way it's never been like big website
promotion it's just my number gets
passed around and now alhamd
this year I think I've done America four
times I'm going Holland in the morning
so Mah it's really spreading and it's
touching the youth Etc so I'm going to
share some of that with you now start
off with my original
story first things I've done and then
I'll go into some newer stuff
in you
see you see Jamaica is my bad ground
London is my
birthplace why didn't they teach me
about Islam in the first place I was on
the verge of walking around with a screw
face it's a good thing I wasn't too cool
to read the first page yeah Jamaica is
my
background London is my birth place oh
why didn't they teach me about the
religion of Islam in the first place I
was on the verge of walking around my
streets are landed with a screw face now
I say it's a good thing I was never too
cool to read the first page see I was
raised around the Guns and Roses
inspired by the story of Moses ask a
lord to have mercy on his soul of mine I
was raised around Guns and Roses
inspired by the story of Moses ask the
Lord to have mercy on this soul of mine
you see when it's cold outside I need my
coat
on my mommy looked in my eyes and told
me hold on she said there's danger down
the road that I walk on and those who
walked on it before now they're all gone
either locked in the cage or down in the
grave this is the out from the chases we
made alhamdulillah ra been sa
alhamdulillah ra been safe alhamdulillah
ra been saved alhamdulillah that's why
I'm here today
you see it's amazing when I look at
where I am
today this same what was raised mon I'm
calling it's the chosen way I used to go
into my church every Sunday my mom was
cooking recipes listening to Red gay I
was a typical black boy typical black
household working with my jeans low face
like a owner road before there was no
hope I used to make a lot of do I about
Islam or a laa say I don't know then a
few books a few months a lot of reading
a new season it brings a new way you're
thinking I reason with a Muslim he's
speaking I listen I smiled cuz of the
beauty I found in his religion you see
this is what was missing the final piece
of the puzzle it's all starting to make
sense now before was all muddled I was
stuck in the jungle blind like a back
now I see quite clear it's a thank for
that yeah he brought me the facts now
the boy from the flats is the boy lay
his head down on the mat it's as simple
as that and now that I found Islam isall
I'mma never turn back see I was on the
outside looking in get old child
lingering thinking should I taking out
of fors with us wavering will it make my
Daddy proud what am I going to say to
him can I go back to my house mommy I'm
a Muslim how she going to take it down
how they going to take it in will I end
up kicked out will I get a kick in I
don't know what to do I got a plan my
next move I want to take your heart
assum already got a thinking
through now what's right for me I have
to do you see I live for me and not for
you I don't believe that is true the
things I read in the news it's my choice
I'm a choose I ain't got nothing to lose
to the religion of Truth read the books
found the proof TR is came to me he sat
me down and say to me what's your
purpose in life could it just looks like
a game to me and I would think
occasionally is is right I need to fix
up my life tonight could be my last
night so just before the summer the year
was 2002 my mind's already had a Wonder
now it's time to make a move I made my
way down to my stews where I link up
with my crew I'm sitting on a single
chair running my fingers through my hair
I said yo it's your feel is your older
brother here thankfully he says yeah
it's May was downstairs he'll be up in a
minute is having a word with his mother
when he comes up I tell him look I want
to take my
sh he looks at me and smiles I stand up
receive a heart he said I see you as a
friend more I look you like a brother
now I could feel the love as no longer
feeling loss he said you should take off
that cross and let's take a drive to New
cross where I met my uncle yaser and his
brothers from all over and they said
it's time to leave the Ghetto Life way
over your shoulder so I said ill
Muhammad there's no true except Allah
Muhammad is his messenger now I ain't
going church no more I'm going jum
Friday
straight I wanted to get the front row I
had to get there early he read the
prayer in Arabic I understood it barely
I really got to learn it quick got
myself a teacher then I went to Egypt so
I could learn the language better I was
feeling on emotional I wrote my mom a
letter in Egypt feeling lonely wanted to
find myself a lover tried to get married
suffered a little bit of racism remember
him saying she couldn't be a me my
parents were Jamaican and me arguing hey
but I still praying I fasting Ramadan he
said no daughter of mine is marrying a
black man I said okay cool I'mma make
the for you and you know what brother
just make the for me too I was just
happy I'm a Muslim that came from the
streets to Islam they get oh now when I
see my brother give a pal Embrace with a
hug and greet with
Salam yeah I'm a Muslim that came from
the streets to Islam they get up and
when I see my brother give up Palm
Embrace with a hug and greeting
with I'm a
mom she always tried her best to make
sure son was focused mom always had a
smile no matter how slow I progress my
mom would always say you see my son he's
the best and mom never let me forget
that this life's just a test when we was
raised in Christianity I used to go
Church mom would drop me off to school
and she rushed off to work but Mom saw
her son change when I turned night and
she still Lov me the same when I
converted to this thing she just started
asking questions son why you do that I
said Mom sit with me watch a DVD of
ahed and slowly but surely Mama
recognize the truth and appreciate the
changes that I made since my youth and
when she knew I was flying
away she wanted to spend a day together
this was our moment we went Masid
together and it was enough to make me
smile to see my mom with a hair cover
and then she brought the news she wanted
to take her shahada I said Allah love
obviously I love Allah the most
in and then I love the prophet and his
but after my love for Islam comes a love
for my mother definitely I love a lot
the most
in and then I love the prophet and his
but after my love for Islam comes a love
for my mother said tell my mother if I
die don't cry pray for me imagine as a
wife I believe a life that goes on
beyond the sky I'm just trying to get
there while I'm here still alive and
yeah I'm surprised I didn't think that I
would ever leave the things that I done
before but I know to see me in the
street to say B how's it going and I
repli alhamdulillah it's going fine you
see the grass is greener on the other
side the women are more cleaner and the
men are more polite I love my new family
I love my new life see now I could smile
even if I that tonight what if for that
tonight tell my mother don't cry pray
for me at my janer why I believe in the
life that goes on beyond the sky I'm
trying to get there while I'm here still
alive they ask me my religion I told
them I'm a Muslim but am I a Muslim in
Allah's eyes will I get to join the
party the party of Victory and celebrate
this victory in
Paradise that's why I'm living like a
black slave I came a long way from my
old days and now I live life in the slow
lane making my way to my
destiny try to live like a black slave I
came a long way from my old days now I
live life in the slow lane making my way
to my
destiny but it's
life I guess we all forget what we came
for what we're made for what we're
aiming for it's like we forget our
purpose somebody still lost in his life
that's
worthless we forget what we came for
what we're made PA for what we're aiming
for it's like we forget our purpose am I
still lost in a life that's
worthless sometimes I ask
myself why do I even stand on this stage
doing poetry do I do it for the fame and
so everyone can notice me may Allah feel
my heart with sincerity and if this
ain't good for me then take this away
from me why do I even put my photo on my
CD do I do it for the prais and so
everyone can see me may Allah feel my
heart with sincerity and if this ain't
good for me then take this away from me
why did I let her take a photo standing
next to me am I lost caught up in this
life why do I think about the life that
Waits next for me may Allah fill our
hearts with sincerity and if this ain't
good for me take this away from
me see when the sky turns black my
future starts to fade and all I have is
what I see in front of me today cuz this
could be my last hour Das the reality I
worry about tomorrow if I meeting and he
greets me yeah I was a black boy lost
till the age of 19 pick up my first book
I'm inspired now to read I always had
the image of a bad boy in the street but
always had a crazy love for a la inside
of me now what the truth for the life of
this world I was sitting there asking
myself cuz I could get the money and the
girls quite easy I could be a superstar
always seen on TV but does it make me
happy will it make me smile does this
last forever and just a short while what
happens after the nightclubs after all
the Rays after all the name Fame when my
name start to fade after old age when
the bone starts to free what happens
after the Church of the MOs of the Grave
they say the topic of death is
depressing I say it depends on the
person and the vision cuz after these
years we're surviving in the prison I
pray there's a life waiting for us into
heaven imagine a land of justice and
Perfection no more police poverty and
politician after being in them streets
victim of the system we're finally free
running around like the children and
this could all be but I know it won't be
easy they say say one from every
thousand I just want that one to be me
living in a Land of no rain always good
weather I'm prepared to stop partying
today so I could party there forever but
they don't see the vision like I see it
we're caught up in this life lost so be
it I just want to chill with a wife and
a Moroccan M te visualizing Paradise cuz
that's where we want to be but sometimes
it's like I got the do you on my
shoulders the young Brothers say they
can't rely upon the oldest so there come
to me with all the questions and B what
can I do about my unlawful obsessions
and I'll be like wow how did I end up
here it's funny how life could turn
around within some years the other day I
was hustling dropping off a sample now
they say you're setting an example I'm
dealing with a handful of sins trimmed
down from a mountain looking at my P
like the gang I Ro around sipping at the
Zam Zam fountain with my around my
around my brown skin looking like a
black slave slave mhamad is my Sensei I
was spending money in sa and fend now
I'm getting new emirati tailing me and
why they drinking Mo and Shandon in the
party now I'm thir going act and
praying
alhamdulillah you
[Applause]
see