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“Chart topping revolutionary artist, poet and civil rights activist, Gil Scott Heron, was honoured with a tribute at St George’s Hall. The fittingly titled The Revolution Will Be Live was the opening event for Liverpool International Music Festival, which culminates in a concert on Monday night with ECHO and the Bunnymen and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. The event featured performances by civil rights activist and hip hop legend Talib Kweli, BBC Radio 6 Music’s Funk and Soul guru Craig Charles and Liverpool band The Christians, alongside reggae stars Aswad and Gil’s protégé Malik and The O.G’s.”
“Three years in, Liverpool International Music Festival continues to grow in scope and ambition. We speak to programmer Yaw Owusu and poet Malik Al Nasir about their involvement in its launch event, The Revolution Will Be Live”
“Issue 58 / August 2015 - OUT NOW Adorning the front cover of our August issue is Malik al-Nasir, leader and force behind MALIK & THE O.G'S. The great, empowering story of the man who was a protege of Gil Scott-Heron is contained within, which will be brought to life with the accompanying The Revolution Will Be Live event at St. George's Hall as part of Liverpool International Music Festival”
“From Kweli and Kanye to Kendrick Lamar, Scott-Heron’s catalogue has long been a vital source of inspiration for hip-hop artists. But his influence is far broader than just music. He has been a guiding light as a singer and proto-rapper, novelist and poet, teacher and civil-rights activist. At the concert, Kweli will be joined by actor and broadcaster Craig Charles, reggae band Aswad, Liverpool pop-soul group the Christians, who had a hit in 1993 with a cover of Scott-Heron’s 1974 popular single The Bottle, his protege Abdul Malik Al Nasir, his son Rumal Rackley and guest of honour Ndaba Mandela, grandson of Nelson. It will be a day of celebration, if not an opportunity to explore the conflicted individual behind the growing myth.”
“Malik Al Nasir, British author and performance poet, frontman of Malik and the O.G’s. After the poet, musician and activist Gil Scott-Heron died in 2011, his protégé and surrogate son, Malik Al Nasir, decided to pay tribute to him in Liverpool, the place where they first met. After years of work, this event, The Revolution Will Be Live: A Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron, takes place on Thursday as part of Liverpool International Music Festival. Here, the various voices taking part in the event pay their respects to a man who touched their lives.”
"You have to tell your story to let people know, because you’re in a unique position; and you’re on-point, you’re saying the correct things. We need to hear it"
"We continue to perform and spread the word. What we want to try and maintain is the message, as a wise man once said, that “We are who we are, because they did what did”.
“Fore-word Press presented ‘Hustler’s Convention’ 40th Anniversary at the Jazz Cafe in London on Monday night and the “Godfather Of Rap” blew us all away – including the High Priest of P Funk, George Clinton "There were a lot of faces in the house and the level of anticipation high. It was down to Liverpudlian poet and prime mover behind this project, Malik Al Nasir to open the set with a hand picked ensemble called the OG’s. Mentored by both Jalal and the late great Gil Scott Heron, Malik brought his own poetic life experience to the event and his no nonsense delivery came wrapped in the warm, versatile vocals of Cleveland Watkiss and Chantelle Nandi."”
"The original Hustlers Convention, truly Legendary Session" Gilles Peterson
“Malik & The O.G's: Hustlers Convention 40th Anniversary Live: Jalal + Jazz Warriors International Collective + Malik & The OGs. In 1973 a fast-talking, hustler by the name of Sport played a huge part in the birth of Hip-Hop. Brought to life by Lightnin’ Rod a.k.a Jalal of the Last Poets and backed by music provided by Kool & The Gang among others. His street tales of card games, throwing dice and chasing women influenced Wu Tang, Ice T, Public Enemy, Jungle Brothers, Black Moon and many more. To mark the Hustlers Convention 40th anniversary, godfather of Hip-Hop Jalal, of The Last Poets, takes to the stage alongside the “Jazz Warriors International Collective” to bring this incredible story to life. It will be the first time ever the album has been performed since its release. With support from the UK’s finest spoken word artist - a student of Jalal and the late Gil Scott Heron - Malik & The O.G’s, this is a not to be missed event for all fans of Hip-Hop, spoken word and ”
“Gil Scott-Heron saved my life After a traumatic childhood Abdul Malik Al Nasir seemed to be heading for jail or an early death. Then, at the age of 18, he met the famous poet and musician with remarkable consequences. Not many people know that Gil was a teacher he had a Masters degree in English... I'd been running with the wrong crowd and he took it as a personal challenge to turn me around to take me away from a life of hustling and make me productive. If I'd ended up like most of my peers in care I'd be dead or in jail by now. Gil's intervention saved my life. He used to introduce me to people as his son, despite the fact that he has his own children. It was so touching. At the age of 12 I lost my father and when I met Gil at 18 he took on that role and took it on seriously... I started experimenting with language by writing poetry and songs. When I got to port I'd write to Gil, and enclose poems or songs for his appraisal...I would go on tour with Gil and he would appraise my work.”
"Clare Balding at Wimbledon with jazz legend Al Jarreau; poet Matt Harvey; a former Wimbledon ball-boy, and a man whose life was put on track by poet and musician Gil Scott Heron." Poet Abdul Malik Al Nasir was taken into care at the age of nine. At the age of 18 he was unemployed and living in a hostel. However, a chance meeting with the legendary poet and musician Gil Scott-Heron transformed his life.
"Extraordinary personal stories from around the world. Today, a month after the death of legendary musician Gil Scott-Heron, we find out how he transformed the life of a young British man. Abdul Malik Al Nasir, who was known as Mark T Watson until he converted to Islam, had a troubled childhood. He was bullied at school for being mixed race and lived under brutally strict conditions in care homes from the age of nine. Malik says he was a "semi-illiterate street kid". However, a chance meeting with Gil Scott-Heron, back-stage at one of his concerts, changed Malik's life forever and took him to places he would never have dreamt of going. Abdul Malik al Nasir has published a book of poems under his original name Mark T Watson. The book is called Ordinary Guy, and is published by Fore-word Press Ltd.
"The journey started with his meeting the infamous political poet and performer “Gil Scott Heron” who took Mark under his wing and schooled him in life. Mark has travelled on and off with Gil and his band from 1984 to the present day, touring the UK, Europe and the USA. During these tours, Gil took it upon himself to mentor Mark and encouraged him to become productive, creative and educated. This mentoring, combined with close study of Gil Scott Heron’s published work had a dramatic effect on Mark, fostering a real sense of social responsibility and a desire to both change himself and bring about positive changes in the world. Mark left Gil for a few years and went away to sea. He used the long days to ponder nature and taught himself to read and write. He wrote to Gil regularly, sending copies of his poems for Gil’s appraisal. This book largely derives from that period, inspired by Gil’s knowledge and the value of his revolutionary poetic work"
