Awkword | en

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

“If they give you ruled paper, write the other way.” — Juan Ramón Jiménez

“I’d rather be hissed at for a good verse, then applauded for a bad one.” — Victor Hugo

25 Topics with AWKWORD [@AWKWORDrap] – The Definitive Biography

01. AWKWORD is a 33-year-old Jewish American rapper, songwriter and executive producer.

02. AWKWORD is marred to a Dominican American woman and has two (inherited) daughters, ages 8 and 11.

03. AWKWORD has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Vassar College; he focused on criminal justice, and wrote his senior thesis on Homelessness and the Politics of Public Space. He has also successfully applied for two grants for arts and education.

04. AWKWORD is co-signed by Chuck D of Public Enemy.

05. AWKWORD coined the term ‘Protest Music‘.

06. AWKWORD has been listening to rap music as long as he can remember.

07. AWKWORD attributes much of his passion to an innate, unstoppable empathy and drive for justice, as well as his own inner demons that previously led to fistfights and run-ins with the Law.

08. AWKWORD considers Hip Hop to be his savior, especially following the loss of his mother to breast cancer in 2012.

09. AWKWORD has suffered from mental illness and drug addiction.

10. AWKWORD is a lifelong activist for social justice. He has organized in communities, led protests, volunteered locally, lobbied Congress, and dedicated his life to creating EDUCATIONAL Hip Hop music (AKA #HipHopEd).

11. AWKWORD donates most of the money he earns from rap music to charity.

12. AWKWORD is the creator of the first and only 100% for-charity global Hip Hop album, World View, which features contributions from six continents and 16 countries, and from which all proceeds are donated to Guns 4 Cameras, a 501c3-registered nonprofit that strives to end gun and gang violence through the Hip Hop-inspired education and empowerment of ‘at-risk’ youth.

13. AWKWORD continues to focus on the transformative power of Hip Hop — by connecting us internationally through thought, sound and sight. He is currently working with CultureFix and Chuck D’s Planet Earth Planet Rap to executive produce a global posse-cut collaboration featuring artists from numerous countries across Africa and the world.

14. AWKWORD was a graffiti artist before he started rapping.

15. AWKWORD wrote and performed spoken word poetry (e.g., at the Nuyorican) before shifting to songwriting and rapping.

16. AWKWORD performed live for the first time in 1999, as the MC of an inaugural (now annual) conference he developed for his high school alongside the Anti-Defamation League; he has since performed with Hip Hop Pantsula [of South Africa], The Cool Kids, Masta Ace, Grandmaster Caz, J-Live, Asheru, Eddie B & Harry Fraud, QN5, Dujeous, and others.

17. AWKWORD has worked with producers Harry Fraud, Domingo, Steel Tipped Dove, Numonics and The White Shadow of Norway; he has collaborated with the likes of Jadakiss, Joell Ortiz, KRS-One, Slug of Atmosphere, Sean Price, Chino XL, ILL BILL, Jasiri X, and others.

18. AWKWORD’s anti-fracking anthem “Gas Land (Frack Off)” reached number-one on the College Rap Radio charts.

19. The official video for AWKWORD’s Harry Fraud-produced single “Bars & Hooks” (feat. Sean Price, Daytona & Shakespeare) is nearing 500,000 plays on youtube.

20. AWKWORD has received awards from MSNBC’s the Grio, 2DopeBoyz, HotNewHipHop, Mike Trampe, HipHopEd, Rhoadust [of Africa], Adramatic [of Belgium], and more.

21. AWKWORD has been featured by The Village Voice, Rap Genius, MTV, BLUNTIQ, DeadEndHipHop, The Halftime Show with DJ Eclipse, The Library with Tim Einenkel for Chuck D’s …AndYouDon’tStop! Radio, Green Left Weekly [of Australia], Hip Hop Breath [of France], and many more.

22. AWKWORD’s music has appeared on Mr. Davey D’s Hip Hop And Politics, Complex, Prefix Mag, XXL, The Source, VIBE, Hot97, Rap Genius, VladTV, AllHipHop, HipHopDX, HotNewHipHop, ThisIs50, YouHeardThatNew, HipHopSince1987, The Smoking Section, OkayPlayer, HipHopWired, NahRight, 2DopeBoyz, DJBooth, stupidDOPE, Fusicology, iStandard, Earmilk, XclusiveZone, The Urban Daily, Ashley Outrageous, Byron Crawford, Lily Mercer [of the UK], Yappari Hip Hop [of Japan], Versos Perfectos [of Mexico], HipHop.de [of Germany], and many others.

23. AWKWORD is working on two one emcee-one producer EPs in 2015, with: Jakk Wonders (FKA The Militia) [of South Africa]; and Skammadix [Deep Concepts Media]

24. AWKWORD released “All A Dream“, the final song from Hip Hop industry icon Praverb (AKA P the Wyse) on November 11, 2014; AWKWORD re-wrote and re-recorded his verse as a tribute to the late rapper/blogger. In 2015, AWKWORD will be featured on a Praverb Tribute Album from Kyle W. Knapp, on a Jakk Wonders-produced song also featuring Skyzoo and Rapper Big Pooh.

25. AWKWORD can best be reached via email ([email protected]) or twitter (@AWKWORDrap). .