Artist. Activist. Poet. Meet Amir Sulaiman.

Amir Sulaiman needs no introduction. The native New Yorker, writer, activist, and educator has been a prominent figure on the spoken word scene for several years now. His poems transcend cultural and religious boundaries and speak of the ailments of all humanity. Twice featured on HBO’s Def Jam Poetry, his powerful call for socio-political consciousness and change has left audiences and critics alike in awe whenever he performs. With his latest album, The Meccan Openings, soon to be released, Sulaiman talks about his pilgrimage to Mecca, his faith and the power of words to create change.

EM: When did you start writing and what led you to start performing?

AS: I can’t remember the time when I started writing. It’s something I’ve been doing for forever. I decided to become more serious when I was about 12 years old. I started performing later. There was a coffee shop, where I grew up in Rochester, New York, that had an open mic every Tues. I would go there and start reading my poems and it became what you see today.

EM: Who or what influenced you most growing up?

AS: It was in between the Qur’an itself, the Yusuf Ali translation [of the Qur’an], and hip-hop. The rhythm of the Arabic language of the actual recitation of the Qur’an, I always thought it was beautiful. But of course, I was born in the hip-hop generation; so all those things came together to make me who I am today.

EM: Do you consider yourself to be an activist first or an artist?

AS: I am an artist, first. But it’s hard for me to separate the two. Early in my career I was troubled a lot that I was just talking and not doing more. I wanted to do more, and I still do things that would be considered to activism. But what I realized is speaking is an action. Not that that’s all we should do. But I’ve understood more the power of speech and I don’t take it lightly. I think to many of us, talk is cheap. But talk isn’t cheap if the speech is sincere. The sincere word is the most powerful thing in the universe. It puts things in existence and puts things out of existence. You can do with language what you can’t do with limbs. You can do with language what you can’t do with guns. You can do with language what you can’t do with voting. So it’s a serious affair and the power of language can be for good and for bad.

EM: Your performances are intense and emotional. What is the experience like for you?

AS: It varies from time to time. Sometimes it is almost like an out of body experience. I will start reciting the poem and it will begin vibrating in my body. My heart will fill up like it could burst. I almost have to get out what I have to say because I fear my heart will explode if I don’t.

EM: What do you hope your audience walks away with when they leave your shows?

AS: I would like for them to have the courage to explore and express themselves. To find themselves, to see themselves as they are, and see the world as it is. I want them to experience the truth as it is. That would be a good state to leave one of my performances in.

EM: How did you get involved with Def Jam Poetry?

AS: I was in Atlanta, Georgia and they were looking for poets in that region. My name came up in the conversation and they invited me to come. I did the show two different years. First year, I did the poem Danger and the second year, I did the poem She Said I’d Prefer a Broken Neck.

It was an eye-opening experience. Particularly, the first year, because it was in 2004. The environment in America at the time just had a lot going on. The war in Iraq had just started and people still thought there were weapons of mass destruction there. Even on HBO they censored a lot of poets. They recorded their poems but didn’t air them, because they were politically controversial. So when I was ready to do my poem, I wasn’t sure if they’d air it. But I did it out of a sense of duty. I thought I was doing something courageous, but it turned out to be the best thing I’ve ever done for my career. It was definitely eye-opening, I didn’t think people felt the way I did, but it turned out that sentiment resonated with very different kinds of people. So that poem, Danger, and the performance was really a turning point in my career.

EM: When did you start incorporating hip-hop with your poetry, how has this changed your style?

AS: It’s always been a part of my art, as I said. There is musicality to the language, and its just continued to evolve into more, but its always been there. Now I am achieving the closest thing to true integration of the music and my language which was really the idea. I want to fully integrate it. It’s not one over the other, but they are married to each other.

EM: Tell us about The Meccan Openings project. How did the album come about?

AS: The Meccan Openings project came about through my pilgrimage to Mecca. When I returned back from the trip with my younger brother, the album started coming together. My younger brother makes music. So all this art started to come forward from himself and myself. We didn’t intend it but it happened. The type of poetry and music was different from anything that had come forward before. It was definitely quite a different experience. The poetry still comes from hip-hop and myself, and all the work I’ve done before, but this has a spiritual depth that I wasn’t able to achieve before. It was another turning point in my life as an artist.

EM: Are there any other Muslim artists who inspire you or whose work you follow?

AS: There is a poet out of the UK, Warsan Shire. She is a fantastic poet. She’s young, maybe ten years younger than me, but her poetry is out of this world. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. She’s releasing a book this spring, I think.

Other artists for me have been: Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco and the M-Team

Also, regarding directors as artists, Mustafa Davis is a big inspiration for me. He directed the first video off of Meccan Openings, called Dunya.

EM: How does your belief in Islam influence your art?

AS: Islam is really integrated into who I am as a person. So it’s hard for me to write about stuff that isn’t influenced by Islam, not necessarily out of piety or fear or righteousness, it’s just who I am and how I see the world. There’s never been a poem I’ve written that’s not influenced by Islam. The crown jewel for myself is the emphasis of sincerity. It’s how I create my greatest art. Islam is a remarkable science for achieving sincerity.

EM: What are the challenges you see the American Muslim community facing today?

AS: Every conscious Muslim in America is seeking the same thing. The matter of identity is a major issue. For the immigrant community it’s figuring out – am I American? Am I Pakistani? Arab? Do I relate more to being a white person? Or relate more to being a black person? For the indigenous community, like the African American community, it’s about development. Kind of more like coming into our own, developing the Islamic culture that is applicable to our place and time.

EM: What advice would you give someone trying to reach his/her inner poet?

AS: Two things: One, be sincere. Two, write a lot. That is without a doubt how you will find your inner poet.

EM: Have you ever had a moment on stage where you’ve forgotten the words?

AS: Yes. So many moments. Too many moments to count, actually. I just say I forgot the words. Stop for awhile and see if I can remember. If I can’t remember that’s the end of the poem!

EM: What projects are in the works for you this year?

AS: The Meccan Openings project album is coming out. We also have a website, we’re developing for other artists called, Cornerstorefolklore.com. It’s not finished yet. But we’re building up musical and video content for that.

Check out Amir’s YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/amirsulaimantv#p/u