M. K. Asante (born November 3, 1982) is an American author, filmmaker, songwriter, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir '' Buck: A Memoir'' and the 2024 memoir '' Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony''.

Early life and education

Asante was born in

Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...

, Zimbabwe, and raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He is the son of scholar

Molefi Kete Asante Molefi Kete Asante ( ; born Arthur Lee Smith Jr.; August 14, 1942) is an American philosopher who is a leading figure in the fields of African-American studies, African studies, and communication studies. He is currently a professor in the Dep ...

and choreographer Kariamu Welsh. Asante is a graduate of The Crefeld School in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. He studied film and literature at

SOAS University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

. He earned a BA in Africana Studies and English from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 18 ...

Easton, Pennsylvania Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...

, and a MFA in screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater Film and Television.

Career

Books

Asante is the author of five books, most notably '' Buck: A Memoir'', a 2013 memoir about his turbulent youth in

. ''Buck'' was selected as a

Barnes & Noble Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 600 retail stores across the United States. Barnes & Noble operates mainly through its B ...

Discover Great New Writers selection, and was named to ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''s bestseller list in 2014 and 2015. It was included on the In the Margins Book List in 2014. Poet

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

, who mentored Asante, described ''Buck'' as "a story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style." Nephew by MK Asante

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' announced that Asante's second memoir, '' Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'', would be published by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

/ Amistad Press with an on-sale date of May 21, 2024. Reviewing ''Nephew'',

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

wrote: “This innovative memoir offers provocative commentary on how Black Americans have sung—and might yet sing—their paths to freedom. Passionate, moving, spirited reflections on art’s therapeutic potency.” ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' gave ''Nephew'' a starred review, stating:

"This poignant memoir about overcoming devastating odds is a treasure and likely to become a classic. Essential reading for deepening understanding of society, the world, familial relationships, and the meaning of art and life."

Films

Asante is a

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by actor Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and compo ...

Feature Film Fellow for the movie adaptation of his memoir ''Buck''. He wrote and produced the 2005 documentary '' 500 Years Later'', a documentary about slavery which received the Breaking the Chains Award from

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. Asante directed and produced ''

The Black Candle ''The Black Candle'' is a documentary film about Kwanzaa directed by M. K. Asante and narrated by Maya Angelou. The film premiered on cable television on Starz in November 2012. Synopsis ''The Black Candle'' uses Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an ...

'' (2012), a documentary about

Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called ''Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga based on African harvest fe ...

, co-written and narrated by

. He co-wrote the broadcast opening short films for the 2021

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

on ABC directed by

Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...

Lectures and essays

Asante has delivered Distinguished Lectures at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

, and

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

. He has delivered commencement addresses at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. He is featured in ''Changing America: 1968 and Beyond'', a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian's

National Museum of African American History and Culture The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), colloquially known as the Blacksonian, is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in 2003 an ...

. He has written essays on art, hip hop, technology, and culture for ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'', ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'', and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''.

Music

Asante is featured on the song "Bangers", along with Halo, from the album ''Indie 500'' by

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

and

9th Wonder Patrick Denard Douthit (born January 15, 1975),
better known as 9th Wonder, is an American record producer, record ...

. In their review of the album, '' Pitchfork (website), Pitchfork'' noted that "Asante captures the vibe nicely." Asante is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios. As a songwriter, he wrote the lyrics for the 2023-'24, 2024-'25, and 2025-'26 official ''

Monday Night Football ''Monday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''MNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that air on Monday nights. It originally ran on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from 1970 NFL season, 1970 t ...

'' anthem, "In the Air Tonight", a cover of the song of the same name by

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

, performed by

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

Chris Stapleton Christopher Alvin Stapleton (born April 15, 1978) is an American country singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Kentucky, Stapleton moved to Nashville in 1996 to study for an engineering degree from Vanderbilt University, but dropped out to pur ...

, and

Cindy Blackman Santana Cindy Blackman (born November 18, 1959), known as Cindy Blackman Santana since she married guitarist Carlos Santana in 2010, is an American jazz and rock drummer performing since the 80s. Blackman has recorded several jazz albums as a bandleader ...

Academia

At age 23, Asante joined the faculty of

Morgan State University Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a Public university, public historically black colleges and universities, historically black research university in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically bla ...

. He received tenure three years later, at age 26. He is currently an associate professor of creative writing and film in the Department of English and Language Arts. In 2017, he was appointed Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA (Institute of Strategic Marketing and Communication) in India. He is the recipient of the 2021 Morgan State University Distinguished Achievement Award. In 2025, he received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts from

TV shows

Asante is the host and co-executive producer of '' While Black with MK Asante'', a docuseries produced by

Snapchat Snapchat is an American multimedia social media and instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc., originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of the app are that pictures and messages, known as "snaps", are usually availa ...

. The series takes the stories of America's black youth and gives them a platform in the smartphones of millions of America's teens. ''While Black with MK Asante'' has nearly 17 million viewers.

TV performances

On November 30, 2020, Asante performed and debuted "We the Eagles" on

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

's ''

'' for a live audience of 11.4 million viewers. On May 29, 2021, he performed and debuted "Skate or D.I.E." at the 2021

Dew Tour The Dew Tour is an extreme sports circuit organized by Coalition 375 LLC, an alliance of elite action sports experts. History The tour was announced in late 2004, and made its debut in Louisville, KY in June 2005. The tour then made stops in ...

Skateboarding Olympic qualifier on NBC. On October 11, 2021, he co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the introduction to ESPN's ''Monday Night Football'' Week 5 game featuring the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

vs. the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

. In the introduction, Asante is backed by the Morgan State University Marching Band; the introduction was viewed by 11.4 million viewers.

Awards and honors

*2002: Jean Corrie Poetry Prize –

Academy of American Poets The Academy of American Poets is a national, member-supported organization that promotes poets and the art of poetry. The nonprofit organization was incorporated in the state of New York in 1934. It fosters the readership of poetry through outrea ...

*2005: Best Documentary (''500 Years Later'') –

Pan African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, United States, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film ...

*2006: Best Int'l Documentary (''500 Years Later'') – Harlem Int'l Film Festival *2006: Best Documentary (''500 Years Later'') – Bridgetown Film Festival *2007: Breaking the Chains Award (''500 Years Later'') – United Nations'

*2008: Best Documentary (''The Black Candle'') – Africa World Documentary Film Festival *2009: Langston Hughes Award from the Langston Hughes Society *2009: The Key to the City of Dallas, Texas *2010: Board of director's Best Documentary (''Motherland'') –

*2011: Best Documentary (''Motherland'') –

Zanzibar International Film Festival Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization establis ...

*2012: Best Director (''The Black Candle'') – Arkansas Black Film Festival *2012: Outstanding Young Writer – Middle Atlantic Writers Association *2013: Discover Great New Writers (''Buck: A Memoir'') –

*2013: Best Book of 2013 (''Buck: A Memoir'') – Baltimore Magazine *2013: Inspirational Memoir finalist (''Buck: A Memoir'') – Books for a Better Life Award *2014: Washington Post Bestseller List – Paperback Nonfiction #6 (''Buck: A Memoir'') *2014: Alex Award finalist (''Buck: A Memoir'') –

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

*2014: TheGrio 100 List –

MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...

The Grio *2014: Feature Film Program Fellow –

*2014: Outstanding Literary Work – Autobiography finalist (''Buck: A Memoir'') –

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

*2014: In the Margins Book Award (''Buck: A Memoir'') *2015: Washington Post Bestseller List – Paperback Nonfiction #3 (''Buck: A Memoir'') *2016: Chancellor's Medallion –

Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University (FSU) is a public historically black university in Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. History The second olde ...

*2017: Distinguished Professor-in-Residence – MICA (Institute of Strategic Marketing and Communication) *2018: Great Stories Club –

(''Buck: A Memoir'') *2019: Lifetime Achievement Award – Muslim-Christian Alliance of Philadelphia *2020: Best in Social Activism (Finalist) –

Shorty Awards The Shorty Awards (also known as "The Shortys") are awards for outstanding and innovative work in digital and social media content by brands, advertising agencies, and creators. The awards, which generally focus on short-term content, honor achiev ...

(''While Black with MK Asante'') *2020: Short Form Series (Nomination)

Critics' Choice Real TV Awards The Critics' Choice Real TV Awards are accolades for nonfiction, unscripted and reality television content presented by the Critics Choice Association The Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) ...

(''While Black with MK Asante'') *2021: Presidential Citation – MSU Distinguished Achievement Award –

*2024: Sports EMMY for Outstanding Opening/Tease – "In the Air"

–

Sports Emmy Awards The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports E ...

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), also known as the National Television Academy until 2007, is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of televisio ...

*2024: Earphones Award - '' AudioFile'' (''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'') *2024: Outstanding Audiobook Narration - ''

'' (''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'') *2025: In the Margins Book Award for Nonfiction (''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'') -

in the Margins Award The In the Margins Award, established in 2013, is an annual literary award presented to fiction and nonfiction "self published books by, for and about people of color living in the margins." The primary audience of the books is generally individua ...

*2025: Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts –

, 2025.

Books

*''Like Water Running Off My Back'' (Africa World Press, 2002) *'' Beautiful. And Ugly Too'' (Africa World Press, 2005) *''

It's Bigger Than Hip Hop ''It's Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation'' is a creative non-fiction book by M. K. Asante. ''It's Bigger Than Hip Hop'' employs hip hop culture as a vehicle to explore important social and political issues facing the h ...

'' (St. Martin's Press, 2008) *'' Buck: A Memoir'' (Spiegel & Grau / Penguin Random House, 2013) *'' Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'' (Amistad / HarperCollins, 2024)

Films

*'' 500 Years Later'' (2005) *''

'' (2008) *''Buck'' (in development)

TV shows

*'' While Black with MK Asante'' (2019–2021) (

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and Trade name, doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Show business, entertainment conglomerate (comp ...

) *''Free Tuition with MK Asante'' (2020–2021) (

Future plc Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson (entrepreneur), Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History 1985–2012 The company was ...

) *''Paid in Full'' (2024)(

Canadian Broadcasting Company The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its English-language and F ...

British Broadcasting Company The British Broadcasting Company Limited (BBC) was a short-lived British commercial broadcasting company formed on 18 October 1922 by British and American electrical companies doing business in the United Kingdom. Licensed by the British Gener ...

)

Music

Songwriter

* 2025-2026: "In the Air Tonight" –

(produced by

Dave Cobb Dave Cobb (born July 9, 1974) is an American record producer based in Nashville, Tennessee, best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen, Take That, Rival ...

) (written by

and MK Asante) * 2024-2025: "In the Air Tonight" –

(produced by

) (written by

and MK Asante) * 2023-2024: "In the Air Tonight" –

(produced by

) (written by

and MK Asante)

Albums

* 2015: '' Buck: Original Book Soundtrack'' by

MK Asante M. K. Asante (born November 3, 1982) is an American author, filmmaker, songwriter, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir ''Buck: A Memoir'' and the 2024 memoir ''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'' ...

Singles

*2013: "The Color Grey" –

Bishop Lamont Philip Brandon Martin (born October 31, 1978), better known as Bishop Lamont, is an American rapper from Carson, California. He was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label and released one project under the label, eventually le ...

ft. Mykisha Thomas and MK Asante (produced by Chris Noxx) *2014: "My Victory" – MK Asante ft.

(produced by

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

) *2014: "The Bulletin" – MK Asante ft. Uzi (produced by Faze Miyake) *2015: "Young Bucks" – MK Asante ft. Mez (produced by J-Mac and Commissioner Gordon) *2020: "We the Eagles" – MK Asante (produced by Mez) *2021: "Skate or D.I.E." – MK Asante (produced by The Brightness)

Features

* 2013: "Godz N The Hood" –

Ras Kass John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup The Hrsmn, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is als ...

ft. Bishop Lamont, MK Asante and

(produced by Chris Noxx) * 2015: "Rap Psalms" – MK Asante ft. Narcy (produced by Thanks Joey) * 2015: "Bangers" – MK Asante and Halo (produced by Nottz) * 2016: "Runnin" – Ace Clark ft. MK Asante (produced by Scarecrow Beats)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asante, M. K., Jr. 1982 births Living people

Writers A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short stori ...

21st-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American memoirists 21st-century American poets 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics African-American film directors African-American non-fiction writers African-American poets African-American screenwriters Alumni of SOAS University of London American documentary film directors American documentary film producers American male non-fiction writers American male poets American male screenwriters American social sciences writers American spoken word poets East Coast hip-hop musicians Lafayette College alumni Morgan State University faculty American postmodern writers Screenwriters from Maryland UCLA Film School alumni