I Self Devine

Chaka Mkali (born 1972), better known by his stage name I Self Devine, is an American hip hop musician based in Minneapolis. He has been a member of groups such as The Dynospectrum, Micranots, and Semi.Official. In 2012, ''City Pages'' described him as "one of the most influential voices in Minnesota hip hop."

Early life

I Self Devine was born in Los Angeles, California and moved to Minnesota with his mother when she was accepted to the University of Minnesota's social work master's program. He says, "The first time that I became aware of hip-hop was in 1979, when my mom gave me /nowiki>The Sugarhill Gang's">The_Sugarhill_Gang.html" ;"title="/nowiki>The Sugarhill Gang">/nowiki>The Sugarhill Gang's'Rapper's Delight,' the 12-inch." He experimented with graffiti writing, freestyling, DJing, and breakdancing before starting to invest lots of time into rapping and graffiti.

Career

I Self Devine released the solo debut album, ''Self Destruction'', on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2005. He released the second solo album, ''The Sound of Low Class Amerika'', on the label in 2012. It was produced by Medium Zach of Big Quarters, DJ Todda, Benzilla, King Karnov, Vitamin D, Jake One, Proh Mic, and I Self Devine himself. The album was preceded by four mixtapes, which were all released in early 2012. In 2015, he released a collaborative album with Muja Messiah, titled ''9th House''. In an interview with '' The Current'' radio station, he stated that he was expecting to release two albums in 2021: ''Rituals of Resilience'' and ''That Which Is Hidden''.

I Self Devine is celebrated for his live shows. Spectrum Culture wrote that he "is synonymous with a dynamic live show."

Personal life

I Self Devine has five children and has made efforts to prioritize his family over his career. He told ''The Current'', "To think about emceeing or even being a community organizer – those are great things and have big impacts. But to me, when all of my kids are together, I feel rich beyond belief. I feel crazy wealthy, like I got gold as far as you can see."

Discography

Studio albums

* ''Self Destruction'' (2005)
* ''The Sound of Low Class Amerika'' (2012)
*''Rituals of Resilience'' (2021)
*''That Which Is Hidden'' (2022)

Collaborative albums

* ''9th House'' (2015) (with Muja Messiah)

Mixtapes

* ''LA State of Mind'' (2012)
* ''The Upliftment Struggle'' (2012)
* ''Reports from the Field: In the Trenches'' (2012)
* ''The Shining Path'' (2012)

Singles

* "Ice Cold" b/w "All I Know" (2005)
* "The Origin of Urban Crisis" (2012)
* "IOFWUCUC" (2015) (with Muja Messiah)
*"The Disruptor Suite" (2021)

Guest appearances

* Atmosphere – "Flesh" from '' God Loves Ugly'' (2002)
* The Opus – "First Contact" from ''First Contact 001'' (2002)
* P.O.S – "I Play the Matador (Redo)" from '' Ipecac Neat'' (2004)
* Oddjobs – "Stone Cold" from ''Expose Negative'' (2005)
* Omega One – "I Want It All" from ''The Lo-Fi Chronicles'' (2005)
* Cleveland Steamers – "Day by Day" from ''Treasure Chest'' (2006)
* Leroy Smokes – "John Henry" from ''Love Hustle Theater'' (2006)
* Big Quarters – "How to Kill Your Rap Career" from ''Cost of Living'' (2007)
* Heiruspecs – "Broken Record" from '' Heiruspecs'' (2008)
* Muja Messiah – "Patriot Act" from ''Thee Adventures of a B-Boy D-Boy'' (2008)
* Doomtree – "Twentyfourseven" from '' Doomtree'' (2008)
* Crushcon7 – "Fieldwerk" (2009)
* Toki Wright – "The Law" from ''A Different Mirror'' (2009)
* St. Paul Slim – "McArthur Park" from ''Bald Headed Samsun'' (2010)
* Villa Rosa – "Chico" from ''Blue Diamond Island'' (2011)
* IBE & Benzilla – "Casual Convo" from ''This, That and the Third'' (2013)

References

External links

I Self Devine
on Rhymesayers Entertainment
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Devine, I Self
African-American male rappers
American hip hop record producers
Musicians from Minneapolis
Living people
1972 births
Midwest hip hop musicians
21st-century American rappers
Rhymesayers Entertainment artists
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century African-American musicians
20th-century African-American people