ex-rapper talks about reverting to Islam

Mutah Beale [formerly 'Napoleon' of the rap group, 'Outlawz'] (Los Angeles, USA)

The following is excerpted from a biography on wikipedia.org

\"Napoleon (real name Mutah Wassin Shabazz Beale) (born Newark, New Jersey on October 11, 1977), is an African-American rapper [note: formerly]. His mother, Aquillah Beale, was Christian and his father, Salek Beale, Muslim. When he was three or four years old his parents were murdered and his brother, Seike Beale, committed suicide. After this, he along with his big brother, Moonie Beale, and his little brother, Kamil \"Hellraza\" Beale, moved to their grandmother in Irvington, New Jersey. As Beale grew older he started rapping. In 1994, he ran into his childhood friend Yafeu \"Kadafi\" Fula who he hadn't had contact with for years. Both of them were rapping and Kadafi's Godbrother was the notorious rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur. Kadafi's mother, Yaasmyn Fula, told Tupac about Beale. She told him how he witnessed his parents being murdered and it made him cry. He felt he had to met Beale. They met and Beale joined their group, Dramacydal. Unlike the other members he didn't go under an alias, he just went under his first name.

On April 5, 1995, Tupac's LP, Me Against The World, was released. Mutah guest appeared on the song \"Outlaw.\" In 1995, Mutah, Bruce \"Fatal\" Washington, Kadafi, Katari \"Kastro\" Cox, Malcolm \"E.D.I.\" Greenidge, Tupac formed the group the Outlaw Immortalz; later renamed to the Outlawz. Tupac gave each member of the group an alias taken from an enemy of America, he gave Mutah the alias Napoleon after French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. On February 13, 1996, Tupac's double LP, All Eyez On Me, was released. Napoleon guest appeared on \"Tradin' War Stories,\" \"When We Ride,\" \"Thug Passion\" and \"Run Tha Streetz.\" He was also the center of attention in Tupac's famous song I ain't mad at cha. Here Tupac talked about how Napoleon became a strong Muslim who always tried to do good.\"

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An interesting interview with a former rapper who became inspired to learn about his Muslim roots. After following in the footsteps of Malcolm X and making the Hajj, he began to learn about the essence of Islam (tawheed - the oneness of Allaah) and decided to leave a fast lifestyle of music, intoxicants and vice for the simplicity of Islam. Why you may ask? We invite you to listen and find out...

www.islaam.ca/index.php?option=com_conte...;Itemid=104&lang


Post edited by: islaam.ca admin, at: 2006/05/06 19:16<br><br>Post edited by: islaam.ca admin, at: 2006/05/06 19:16

Ex-gangsta preaches peace

Ex-musician Mutah Beale, centre, talks to young Muslim men about the dangers of the gangsta life.

July 16, 2006

A FORMER American gangsta rapper, known to his fans as Napoleon, has been brought to Sydney by a Muslim community group to help set its youth straight.

Mutah Beale, a good friend of murdered rapper Tupac Shakur and a former member of his group Outlawz Immortal, gave an address to more than 2000 youths at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre on Friday night.

Mr Beale, 29, was invited here by the Independent Centre of Research, a Lidcombe-based Muslim youth centre, to help convince young men to clean up their act and avoid the gangsta lifestyle he spent most of his life trying to escape.

He said he was shocked to hear Australia had a problem with gangs.

\"They have so many opportunities to do whatever they want and to make something of their lives,\" he said.

\"Do they really think that we would have been doing what we were doing if we had the opportunities they have been given?\"

ICRA President, Fadi Abdul-Rahman, said the execution-style murder of boxer Bassam Chami and his friend Ibrahim Assaad in Granville earlier this year was a wake-up call to many Muslims.

\"We just kept hearing of revenge attacks and we had to do something to get through to them,\" he said.

He said he knew many Middle Eastern youths were strongly influenced by Shakur's music and African-American gangs.

\"We wanted to find someone who could knock some sense into these boys because they're not responding to anyone,\" he said.

The Sun-Herald understands Mr Beale was not paid an appearance fee. However, the organisation paid for his flights and accommodation.

Mr Beale, born a Muslim but raised as Christian after his parents were murdered when he was three, recently gave up rap music to study Islam and be with his family. He said the music industry and his gangsta lifestyle almost destroyed him.

Mr Beale will also speak at Lakemba Mosque tomorrow night.

Source: The Sun-Herald