Jun 7, 2019
Who is Isa Muhammad? Here is why every Hip-Hop head should know who he is.
A homeless inspiring rapper from Ingelwood, California steps out of his comfort zone. How rapping about topics such as chemtrails and Muslim wars got him signed on the spot!
Hip-Hop is the most popular genre of music in the world, at least by streaming standards. Since its humble beginnings in the days of Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and Wildstyle, the music form has both uplifted and sometimes hindered the communities that sourced its origin. The art form created by African and Puerto Rican Americans has come a long way since the 1980s, and the proof is in the pudding that Hip-Hop has made giant leaps in its evolution. Rap superstar Jay-Z started as a drug dealer from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn to the genre’s first billionaire at 49, thanks to many factors, including a multi-platinum music catalog spanning two decades.
However, Hip-Hop can provide more than monetary gain; conscious artists like Nasir Jones, Common, Lauryn Hill, Jay Electronica, and Kendrick Lamar transformed Hip-Hop by using their platform to talk real and give the listener food for thought. In my opinion, one M.C. is missing from the list of artists with classic underdogs that win message coupled with a cadence and incredible lyrical skill comparable to some of the best in the rap game.
When Maybach Music Group head honcho Rick Ross discovered Isa Muhammad on the piers of Venice Beach, he was shirtless and homeless. Still, once he opened his mouth and started rapping, he exemplified a west coast lyrical brainiac. “No longer am I stressed, only blessed, Astro-planing, poetic mind gentrification excavating extravagant ways to say these n*ggas is hating,” shouted Isa.
He quickly drew a crowd with his fast, witty wordplay turning a despondent Ross to all smiles once he saw the attention the budding M.C. was receiving. Highly impressed Rick Ross signed Isa Muhammad to his label on the spot. Thus changing the Inglewood rapper’s life overnight and allowing him to begin getting into the studio to create his debut album entitled Diabolical Bastard Billionaire Genius.
The album cover artwork showcased a young jovial Isa celebrating his 5th birthday, a symbol of when his life was carefree. Isa Muhammad laid down 25 tracks featuring various artists, including Rick Ross, Scrilla, Curren$y, Talib Kweli, and others. The debut tape did not disappoint and brought back the essence of lyrics, esoteric knowledge, gritty street tales, and black empowerment. Isa seems to have a grittier rap alter ego called EasDogg, yet does not dumb down his Islamic faith throughout the production but distributes it through a great lens the youth can gravitate to. Diabolical Bastard Billionaire Genius received positive reviews from fans, and it seemed Isa was gaining a solid footing within the MMG camp.
Just as fast as he started his rap career, it was over. In January 2017, he told his fans on Twitter he was quitting rap. According to XXL, he left this statement leaving fans stunned and full of unanswered questions “I’m not making any more music. This my only album,” he wrote on Twitter today (Jan. 5). “I retire from music. Not because it ain’t going how I want. But because music is forbidden in Islam and because music is not apart of my plan.” Isa Muhhamad put his religion before Hip-Hop which to some seemed honorable and to others as a wasted opportunity he may never receive again.
I guess no one will know precisely what caused Isa Muhammad to part ways with Rick Ross and MMG outside of his statement, but one thing is for sure he left us with a classic body of work. If Huey P. Newton could rap back in the 1960’s Isa Muhammad would have been the lyrical descendant of today’s Hip-Hop scene. Rick Ross never publicly spoke on Isa Muhammad’s contract or departure, so it appears he is still signed to MMG. The closest comparison to mind regarding his album would be Lauryn Hill dropping her one-time debut “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” and vanishing from the music scene but not before leaving us with music that has stood the test of time.
Isa would later tweet he was conflicted on his decision and dropped two EP albums entitled “Safeguard Ur Joy” and “Black Hole” while waiting to be bought out or dropped from his 4.5 million contract. Sadly after the two EPs dropped, Isa Muhammad fell back into obscurity for what looks like for good. If you are a conscious Hip-Hop listener or even someone that isn’t, check out Isa Muhammad’s music and videos; you will not be dissatisfied.
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About The Author
Dawdu M. Amantanah is a technical writer and contributing editor for Bitcoin Magazine , BlackBitcoinBillionaire and Senior Editor for Satoshi’s Journal. He is passionate about cryptocurrency, economics, radical entrepreneurship, and whatever else he finds attractive at the time.
