Jalal Mansur Nuriddin facts for kids

Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin (July 24, 1944 – June 4, 2018) was an American poet and musician. He was one of the people who started The Last Poets. This group of poets and musicians became famous in the 1960s. They grew out of the Harlem Writers Workshop in New York City.

He was born Lawrence Padilla in Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Early in his career, he used the names Lightnin' Rod and Alafia Pudim. Many people call him "The Grandfather of Rap."

Nuriddin was a devoted Muslim, a poet, and a martial artist. He was very skilled with words and rhythm. He created long, important poems like "Be-Yon-Der." This 18-minute poem was on The Last Poets' 1977 album Delights of the Garden.

Early Life and Inspirations

Jalal Mansur Nuriddin grew up in Fort Greene, a neighborhood in Brooklyn. He lived in project buildings near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. During his youth, he faced challenges.

He later joined the US Army. While there, he trained as a paratrooper. After leaving the Army, he worked for a bank on Wall Street. His experiences there inspired his poem "E-Pluribus Unum." This poem was from the 1973 album Chastisement.

Nuriddin became a Muslim while he was younger. In 2003, he went on a special trip to Mecca. While in a correctional facility, he learned a style of rhythmic speaking. He called this "spoagraphics" or "spoken pictures." It was also known as toasting. This was a form of rhythmic spoken poetry. It often had ad hoc percussion made by people in the facility.

The Last Poets and Their Impact

Nuriddin joined the first version of The Last Poets. Other members included Gylan Kain, David Nelson, and Felipe Luciano. He left before this group recorded their only album, Right On, in 1967. This album was the soundtrack for a documentary movie. The Right On album was released under the name The Original Last Poets.

In 1969, Nuriddin, along with Umar Bin Hassan and their percussionist Nilja, released their first album. It was called The Last Poets. In 1970, they released This Is Madness. This album caused the group to be watched by the FBI. At that time, his name was still Alafia Pudim. He later changed it to his Islamic name. His new name, Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin, means "The Glory of the Faith, Victorious, The Light of the Faith."

Suleiman El-Hadi joined the group for their third album, Chastisement. He replaced Nilja. Nuriddin, Bin Hassan, and El-Hadi recorded together on the 1974 album At Last. The Nuriddin / El-Hadi version of The Last Poets released six albums. Their last album together was Scatterap/Home in 1993.

Nuriddin used the name "Lightnin' Rod" for his important 1973 album. This album featured songs like "Sport" and "Spoon." Famous musicians played on this album. These included Tina Turner and the Ikettes, Bernard Purdie, Billy Preston, Cornell Dupree, and Kool and the Gang. This album has been widely used and sampled by other artists.

In April 2008, Nuriddin reunited with other Last Poets members. They appeared in Made in Amerikkka. This was a documentary by French filmmaker Claude Santiago.

Nuriddin also made an album for Adrian Sherwood. His song "Mankind, Pt. 2" can be heard at the end of the film 187. Nuriddin and The Last Poets also had a small role in John Singleton's 1993 film Poetic Justice. This movie starred Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.

Later Years and Legacy

In 2004, Nuriddin wrote the introduction for Malik Al Nasir's poetry book Ordinary Guy. Nuriddin was also in the documentary Word Up – From Ghetto to Mecca. In this film, he talked about the importance of spoken word. He also discussed how rap music started. He recited a poem from Al Nasir's book called "Malik's Mode." Nuriddin later recorded "Malik's Mode" with Al Nasir's band "Malik & the O.G's". This was for their album Rhythms of the Diaspora Vol's 1 & 2.

Nuriddin returned to the UK in 2014. He performed live at Jazz Café in Camden Town, London.

Jalal Mansur Nuriddin passed away on June 4, 2018. He had been battling cancer for a long time. His work continues to influence many artists today.

Selected Discography

• On The One
• The Fruits of Rap
• Science Friction
• Mean Machine (1984) 12"

The Last Poets

• Long Enough 12" (The Last Poets)

Filmography

• Poetic Justice, directed by John Singleton. With Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur.
• Art Blakey, directed by Dick Fontaine, featuring Art Blakey, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, Courtney Pine and Steve Williamson.