December 1, 2016
Solide record
Azeem, born of Jamaican and Panamanian descent started his first band, Telefunken, in 1991, which was a combination of live instrumentation and hip-hop. Their first release came out in 1994 on the then newly formed Om Records. Azeem's first break as a solo artist came at an open mic competition where he performed under the alias the "Invisible Man" against fifty other poets and lyricists for a spot on the Lollapolooza Tour. This led to a PBS special (United States of Poetry) with Washington Square Films, and two book publishings.[citation needed] In 1997, Azeem was hired by Bay Area artist, Michael Franti (The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and Spearhead) to assist him in composing songs for the second Spearhead album, Chocolate Supa Highway.[2] This led to Azeem touring, writing, and performing with the band for two years.[2] The single "Keep Me Lifted", a song that features Azeem, was the only song from the album to reach Billboard's Rap Charts.[2] In 1999, after his third tour with Spearhead, Azeem left to work as solo. 1999 saw the release of his first solo EP Garage Opera (Heratik),[2] and he contributed a track to Afro-Mystik's Future Tropic album. Azeem followed up with the full-length album Craft Classic (Stray). The album's single "Rubber Glue" reached number two on the CMJ radio rap chart. In 2003 Azeem released the 12-inch single "Family Man" (Bomb Hip-Hop) and toured Europe with the Bomb Hip-Hop Tour. In early 2004 Azeem was the frontman on the VU release Mayhemystics (Wide Hive),[3] which was nominated for a California Music Award. In 2005 Azeem wrote and performed a play called Rude Boy. Azeem plays the character of Johnny Burke, a struggling and slightly disturbed "Jamerican" (Jamaican-American) who works as a janitor. The play is set at Johnny's place of work, a Mexican cardboard box factory. Azeem performed Rude Boy at: The Lincoln Center - NYC, Marsh Theater - SF, Oaklandish - Oakland, Hip Hop Theater Festival (Brava Theater)- SF, San Francisco Theater Fest - Yerba Buena Gardens San Francisco, Redline Theater - Chicago IL. He also produced and directed The Secret Circus, a performance art show at the Marsh Berkeley. In 2008, Azeem released another solo effort Air Cartoons, In 2010, Azeem performed live with Heavyweight Dub Champion.