Cultural change in the Black community has long been a goal of stic.man, one half of the highly influential Hip-Hop duo, dead prez. Born Khnum Muata Ibomu in Shadeville, Florida, stic.man use his voice and influence to promote peace, healthy living and social change. Viewed by some as a “conscious” rapper, stic.man has a rich and intriguing story that anyone seeking to improve their life will find interest in.
Coming from humble beginnings, stic.man found an interest in music from an early age, learning to write and rap while in the public school system. He initially caused a stir in his community when he was not allowed to perform a rap song named ‘Black As I Can Get’ in 10th grade during a Black History Month assembly. Subsequently, a boycott of classes began in response, and parents of his classmates protested the school administration. This would be stic.man’s first experience with the politically charged, socially critical music that he would become known for.
As he continued his education and musical development at Florida A&M, stic.man met M1, a rapper who would later become the other half of the duo’s controversial yet influential rap group, dead prez. After producing a number of songs together, the duo was soon discovered by Lord Jamar and signed a record deal with Loud Records. The duo quickly went to work producing their debut album, Let’s Get Free, followed by RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta. Both works feature aggressive, incendiary lyrics targeting political corruption and social inequality in America. Both albums received critical acclaim and went on to introduce the group to mainstream audiences.
As dead prez grew in popularity on a national scale, stic.man conversely sought to improve his health and well-being; he gave up drinking and smoking and began to embrace a healthy eating style, becoming a full-fledged vegan after being diagnosed with gout. stic.man began releasing records that promoted healthy living, including the song “Be Healthy” and the album The Workout, a body of work completely dedicated to living better through diet and exercise. During an interview with Huffington Post, stic.man stressed the importance of healthy living in the community:
“I think that we have personal levels of responsibility over what we can do to educate ourselves to resist the culture of disease and addiction [...] As an artist, we have a unique place in that because we help articulate and create the inspiration, the interest, the intrigue, into some of these things happening.”
stic.man views himself (and every artist for that matter) as an activist that has a responsibility to inspire positive action in his community. He also expresses the importance of musical artists being able to promote themselves individually, moving beyond major record labels for economic support and sustainability.
stic.man will be one of several features panelists at A3C’s Get Centered event, which will provide information on how youth can become more active and involved in their communities on a positive note. Get Centered will take place June 23 from 8 to 11 P.M. at the Center for Civil and Human Rights.
