HASAN SALAAM BIOGRAPHY In 2004 an artist from New Jersey emerged amidst the gun-clappers and body-baggers of the current climate of hip-hop to become a staple for the diversity still present within our culture. With the release of his debut album Paradise Lost, Hasan Salaam garnered heavy attention for his poetically charged tales of unabridged truth, guiding his pen through an array of personal, political, and historical subjects. Many people make comparisons as to who Hasan may sound like, voice or topics, but the passion that he projects through every line that he delivers is unparalleled. “Just in case you didn’t know, this is X’s and O’s/ I put my life into the pen and pad, booth in the show.” – Insomniac The dedication he put into Paradise Lost earned him two awards at the 3rd Underground Music Awards in August of 2005, imprinting a successful debut to the hip hop world. “Blaxploitation” won for Song of the Year and his raw energy and stage presence earned him Performance of the Year. Shortly after the release of Paradise Lost he released a mixtape album entitled Tales of the Lost Tribe: Hidden Jewels, feeding his fans with another dose of reality music filled with street knowledge and imagery. As a result of his following, Hasan has been blessed with many opportunities to travel and perform his music at venues around the country and beyond. This past year he was apart of a four date tour of the U.K. and in the fall was invited by artist Akir to perform 12 cities on Redman’s Red Gone Wild Tour which exposed Hasan to fans in Omaha, Nebraska, Aspen, Colorado, and Chicago, Illinois to name a few. Although the microphone is Hasan’s premier weapon of influence, it isn’t his only platform to speak to the people. At P.S. 41 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Hasan developed and implemented a curriculum with the purpose of teaching chess and exploring creative writing techniques. Students in his class were also granted the opportunity to experience the process of music production and engineering at two different studios. When asked about his role within the community the humble emcee replied, “I wanted to help the kids stay in school and have kids interested in learning. Because if you don’t recognize the power that you have (as a musician) you’re a fool and if you deny the power that you have you’re a fool.” “Cause nowadays kids grow up so fast/ my advice slow down before your whole life pass” – Fountain Of Youth At the Essex County Youth House in Newark, New Jersey, Hasan was also involved in workshops that taught young brothers about the music business, song structure, history and politics. His involvement with the community is not only with the youth but with the adult population as well. At Eastern NY Correctional Facility in Napanoch, NY, he has performed his craft for many of the inmates in addition to working with organizers to boycott MCI due to the unfair rates they charged prisoners for collect calls. With a heart of passion fueled by the love for family, unity, religion, and music, Hasan Salaam will be pouring it all out on his projects for this upcoming year. The yet to be titled prelude to his sophomore effort Life in Black and White will serve as a mere sedative for the fans itching to hear more of his lyrical prowess, yet fulfilling every expectation of excellence. **Hasan Salaam has performed all over the East Coast including nationally aired performances on NBC\'s \"Showtime at the Apollo\", FUSE TV\'s \"Digital Downloads\", MUN2 TV\'s \"The Roof\", Music Plus TV, and at the Anti-War Rally March on C-SPAN. Gaining exposure in the underground, Hasan eventually edged forward opening performances for the legendary Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, Curtis Blow, Wyclef, Naughty by Nature, Busta Rhymes, Black Moon, Floetry, Common, and dead prez.**