2 Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam appearances, 2 Time SF Bay Poetry Slam champion, and a National Poetry Slam championship all under his belt before the age of 22. And he released an album entitled Dual Consciousness which sold out all its hard copies. Though those are all impressive feats, they seem to fade away when he steps on stage and commences his act. There’s so much more to him than his accomplishments.

• Dahlak has eloquence down. He speaks from the heart and never misses a line. His soul is always on the table for people to see.
• He has presence on stage. When he pauses, not a single sound can be heard in a theater surpassing 600 people. He commands the audience.
• He’s incredibly charismatic. Smiles, talks with the audience, and very approachable. Niceness is appreciated by us here at Obnoxious Listeners!
• Surprisingly modest. With all his accomplishments, you think he would have atleast a little bit of a big head. No chance.
• And to top it, he’s an artist with a purpose. He knows what he wants and his words speak larger than his actions. I’m glad he has momentum on his side!

I got the distinct pleasure to hang out with Dahlak a year ago after a show we put together for 650 youth that came from all around the nation. And thats when I learned (which many may miss) the vast knowledge he possesses in his mind and the spirituality that leads his life. What do I mean?

Right after a long performance night (up till past 5am), I get a call from Dahlak around 10am and he says to me, “Hey Nirav, you told me yesterday about some speeches and spiritual mentors around. I gotta be back in NYC for my flight later on, but would you mind if I stopped by for a minute?”. Of course, I dropped everything I was doing and took him to a watch a few of the speakers. I’ll talk and support anyone down to learn more about life and the truth.

But it wasn’t just that which convinced me of his intelligence. In the car, he was reading Waiting for Godot. He spoke about his visits to D.C. and the east coast with his theater group (ya, he acts too). He shared how he would be taking a one month break to bring some stillness back into his life as the performances shift the overall balance in his life. Simple things that you would not hear other rappers and other performers talking about. I did catch him texting like 45 girls, but I’ll keep the names out of this post!

But its these things that define a quality artist. I know that he’ll be huge one day, as he’s already big. And I know with him, that his message of peace and life will pass on beyond simply his life. Good artists become popular. Great artists get remembered and their message lives on through others.

Keep spreading that message Dahlak as we hope to see you performing around here soon ….

Related Posts: Commencement | Dual Consciousness

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