Rapper Lord Jamar, the acclaimed lyricist from Brand Nubian, intends to educate listeners with 5 Percent Album, his first solo album, which he says will be in stores by the year’s end.
“[Fans] can expect a lot,” Lord Jamar told AllHipHop.com of The 5 Percent Album. ” It deals a lot with the 5 Percent Nation and really exposing it more than anybody has ever done before to bring about a clear understanding. I’m taking away some of the myths.”
In Hip-Hop’s earlier days, one could hear the overt influence of the 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths. Such rappers as Nas, Busta Rhymes, Rakim, Wu-Tang Clan and others have frequently used the unique vernacular and terminology of the 5 Percent Nation
in their rap songs.
The beliefs of the group heavily influenced the lyrics of each Brand Nubian’s album. The 5 Percent Nation of Gods and Earths stems from their belief that 10 percent of the world keeps the other 85 percent ignorant, while the last 5 percent are the righteous people of the world.
The group also believes the black man in the original man, thus “god,” while black women, the mothers of civilization, are symbolically referred to as “earths.”
The group has consistently been scrutinized, being labeled a gang at different times.
“This [album] will clear the confusion and that’s my job – the absence of all confusion,” Lord Jamar stated.
In addition to his Brand Nubian brethren, Jamal said he is lining up appearances by the rappers who were influenced by the 5 Percenters for his album.
“I got my man Shabazz the Disciple [Gravediggaz] on there,” Jamar said. “I talked to Wise Intelligent from the Poor Righteous Teachers. I’m trying to get Rakim on there. The features will be mostly from the 5 Percent Nation.”
In addition to his career as a rapper, Jamar had a long-term role as “Supreme Allah” – a name with 5 Percent origins – on HBO’s popular prison drama, “Oz.”
