Mentoring Program Campaigns to Stop Youth Violence

By Jihad Hassan Muhammad | Last updated: Jul 18, 2011 - 3:36:58 PM

James W. Muhammad (center) and Sham of the multi-platinum, Grammy award winning production team, The Trak Starz with the youth of Dynasty, at school session.

(FinalCall.com) - Recently, St. Louis, Missouri was given the title of the “Most Dangerous City in America.” It's safe to say the community would be calmed by action plans and solutions to this disturbing news. As we analyze this problem that has reached monstrous proportions, it is a fact that youth are part of this equation, whether they are victimizers, or victims. Can a part of the problem become a solution?

Let's rewind to 1973, as The Bronx, NY was one of America's leading cities in murder, and a street gang called the Black Spades went from destructive behavior to constructive behavior. The Black Spades became the Universal Zulu Nation, and helped to originate hip-hop.

In a 1995 interview, Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambaataa said,“The formation started from a street gang. It went from the negative to the positive. What stands out is the unity that we had, and the wisdom that was coming from the Nation of Islam, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, and Farrakhan, meant a lot to me.”

The Zulu Nation went on to use hip-hop as a vehicle to thwart bloody gang violence, and negative behavior amongst New York City's youth, as well as helping to author a culture that gave birth to KRS-ONE, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim Allah and many others whom Jay-Z, himself recently said were his biggest influences.

Now back to 2011, in St. Louis, and the problem at hand. Dynasty Hip-Hop Inc. Mentoring Program stands as a solution similar to the Universal Zulu Nation. Dynasty was founded by Nation of Islam's James W. Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque No. 28 in St. Louis, and Jihad H. Muhammad, of Muhammad Mosque No. 48 in Dallas and five others. The group utilizes hip-hop, its culture, and its industry to educate, motivate and empower youth with the training, and skills to become more productive members of society.

Its motto, for the last five years, has been “getting youth off the streets with hip-hop”, and they intend to campaign in this city on that premise. “We have seen from the last six years, as we, have partnered with many organizations, social and entertainment wise, that we in unity can make a difference, it will take everybody on the frontlines, free of egos, and whatever differences we think we have to stop these senseless killings”, said James W. Muhammad. Dynasty's community partners includes 100 Black Men of Greater St. Louis, Judge Jimmie Edwards, and his brain child; Innovative Concept Academy, which is a school for youth that belong to the juvenile court, and various other partners.

“The messages that are coming out from some of the music is having an impact on a very influential base of people, the youth. They listen to something and they go out and try to replicate it, and unless we can change that attitude the problem will continue, and it is because of the efforts of organizations like Dynasty, that switch that negative message into a positive uplifted message that we can start bringing about some change,” said Bill Luster, President Elect of 100 Black Men of Greater St. Louis.

“We used to be doing all this gang banging, and all that, but we started worrying about our album, getting the free studio time that Dynasty gave us, and just stop doing all that, and went on to more positive stuff,” said Naim “NuNu” Thompson. Mr. Thompson started with Dynasty as a high school sophomore and now mentors other youth and is the program's recording studio engineer at their state of the art recording studio in the new Muhammad Mosque No.28.

Dynasty gives youth free recording studio time, radio exposure, and access to the hip-hop industry. Through them young people have recorded their music at some of the best recording facilities in St. Louis, such as V.I.P. Records, Nekjerkas, Anex, and the Grammy award winning multi-platinum artists, Nelly and the St. Lunatics' Derrty Ent. Derrty helped Dynasty further by allowing the youth a feature on St. Lunatic, Murphy Lee's classic “Age of 21.”

B Gyrl, a hip-hop historian, executive, and founder of stlhiphop.com, St. Louis' most popular website for hip-hop, said something must be done to curtail the violence.

“We have to do something about it, so I fully support Dynasty Hip-Hop, and everything that they do, I love what they do. and the fact that they are visible in our community, these guys are right there and hands on,” she said.

“As we campaign to get youth off the streets with hip-hop, we look at the example of the Hon. Min. Louis Farrakhan, who influenced Afrika Bambataa and the Zulu Nation, KRS-ONE's Stop The Violence Movement, and Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, which have all been viable solutions within the hip-hop industry and the community, said Bgyrl. Dynasty, is inspired by Min. Farrakhan's work and how he unifies our community. And we are asking that all in the hip-hop community, artists, producers, labels, radio, studios, etc. join with us in this campaign to use a culture that our youth know, which is hip-hop, to help stop violence,” declared James W. Muhammad. Dynasty will campaign in schools and neighborhoods throughout the area.

(For more information regarding Dynasty Hip-Hop Inc. Mentoring Program, call 314-243-4722 or 214-519-9016. Visit them online at www.dynastyhiphop.org.)

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