I Self Devine

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I Self Devine
Iselfdevinelive.png
I Self Devine performing live in 2014
Background information
Birth nameChaka Mkali [1]
Also known asSelf One
Born1972 (age 52–53) [2]
Los Angeles, California, U.S. [2]
Origin Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [3]
Genres Twin Cities hip-hop [4]
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • record producer
  • activist
Years active1995–present
Labels Rhymesayers Entertainment

Chaka Mkali (born 1972), better known by his stage name I Self Devine, is an American rapper from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has been a member of groups such as the Dynospectrum, [5] Micranots, [6] and Semi.Official. [7] In 2012, City Pages described him as "one of the most influential voices in Minnesota hip hop." [8]

Contents

Early life

I Self Devine was born in Los Angeles, California and moved to Minnesota with his mother when she was accepted to the University of Minnesota's social work master's program. [9] He says, "The first time that I became aware of hip-hop was in 1979, when my mom gave me [ The Sugarhill Gang's] 'Rapper's Delight,' the 12-inch." [9] He experimented with graffiti writing, freestyling, DJing, and breakdancing before starting to invest lots of time into rapping and graffiti.

Career

I Self Devine released the solo debut album, Self Destruction, on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2005. [10] He released the second solo album, The Sound of Low Class Amerika, on the label in 2012. [11] It was produced by Medium Zach of Big Quarters, DJ Todda, Benzilla, King Karnov, Vitamin D, Jake One, Proh Mic, and I Self Devine himself. [12] The album was preceded by four mixtapes, which were all released in early 2012. [13] In 2015, he released a collaborative album with Muja Messiah, titled 9th House. [14] In an interview with The Current radio station, he stated that he was expecting to release two albums in 2021: Rituals of Resilience and That Which Is Hidden. [9]

I Self Devine is celebrated for his live shows. Spectrum Culture wrote that he "is synonymous with a dynamic live show." [15]

Personal life

I Self Devine has five children and has made efforts to prioritize his family over his career. He told The Current, "To think about emceeing or even being a community organizer – those are great things and have big impacts. But to me, when all of my kids are together, I feel rich beyond belief. I feel crazy wealthy, like I got gold as far as you can see." [9]

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

Mixtapes

Singles

Guest appearances

References

  1. ↑ McCormick, Zach (April 17, 2012). "Q&A: I Self Devine". The Wake. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  2. 1 2 Brown, Marisa. "I Self Devine – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ Riemenschneider, Chris (May 6, 2012). "Friday night wrap: I Self Devine release party, impromptu Beasties tribute". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ "City Pages". Archived from the original on 2007-12-01.
  5. ↑ Gillespie, Blake (April 18, 2008). "Minneapolis is Rhymesayers". Impose Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  6. ↑ Miyakawa, Felicia M. (2005). Five Percenter Rap: God Hop's Music, Message, and Black Muslim Mission . Indiana University Press. p.  98.
  7. ↑ Beacham, Kevin (April 30, 2013). "H2 Local highlights – I Self Devine and DJ Abilities' collaboration Semi Official". The Current. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  8. ↑ Gage, Jeff (May 2, 2012). "I Self Devine: Rhymesayers legend returns – The Sound of Low Class Amerika gets personal". City Pages. Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Johnson, Cecilia. "I Self Devine is playing the long game". www.thecurrent.org. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  10. ↑ Mason, Stewart. "Self Destruction – I Self Devine". AllMusic. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ Ortiz, Edwin (May 17, 2012). "I Self Devine – The Sound Of Low Class Amerika". HipHopDX. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Elabbady, Ali (May 1, 2012). "I Self Devine: The Sounds of Low Class Amerika". Reviler. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  13. ↑ Drake, David (May 7, 2012). "Stream I Self Devine's The Shining Path Mixtape". The Fader. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  14. ↑ Thompson, Paul A. (November 30, 2015). "Muja Messiah / I Self Devine: 9th House". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Interview: I Self Devine". Spectrum Culture. 2012-04-10. Retrieved 2017-02-18.
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