July Hip-Hop Giveaway 3 - Imaan Faith DJ Clinton Sparks Print
Written by Robert ID2836   
Tuesday, 11 July 2006 16:24

This give away has ended - thanks to all who entered. Winners are being notified by email.

To commemorate the first ever mixtape collaboration between a Middle Eastern rap artist and a top American hip-hop DJ, ThugLifeArmy.com is pleased to giveaway 10 copies of the new Imaan Faith mixtape CD entitled "Change of Plans", hosted and produced by award-winning DJ Clinton Sparks.

It didn''t take long for Imaan Faith to become one of hip-hop's most innovative personalities, bringing with him a story that sounds like a folktale from his Muslim heritage. Born and raised in politically-charged Iran, it was immigrating to New York in the early 1990's that first brought hip-hop and rap culture to Imaan's attention. Often donating food to youth centers across the city from his family's new Tehran cookery, Imaan began seeing comparisons between the poverty of minorities in America and those in his former home of the Middle East. Upon hearing Imaan attempting to ''freestyle'' political lyrics like Tupac Shakur (2Pac) with homeless youth at a Brooklyn shelter one evening, local youth entrepreneur Ali G. Shaker was so convinced of Imaan's talent that he sold his car the next morning to buy studio time for Imaan's first hip-hop demo tape called "I Got GUTS."

Fleeing to Canada in the late 1990's to avoid anti-Muslim hate crimes that began spreading in New York, Imaan's family was shocked to find similar anti-Muslim sentiments among students in some of the Toronto schools Imaan attended, which soon led to Imaan being placed in a detention facility for repeated fighting. Yet when a drug dealer appointed himself Imaan's personal bodyguard after hearing him freestyle to fight off anti-Muslim inmates, Imaan began to see hip-hop as a true calling and spent the rest of his incarcerated months writing dozens of songs ranging from youth welfare ("Children Of The World") to club anthems ("Just Freeze").

Upon being freed Imaan was asked by Ali G. to immediately return to New York and build on their first business collaboration, with a promise of Ali again selling his latest car. This time the finances launched "GUTS", the world's first Iranian-owned hip-hop / rap record label which has since collaborated with the likes of Panjabi MC producer Pama Sarai, reggae phenomenon Snow and hip-hop  rap artists Diplomats. With the help of hip-hop activist Deejay Ra the GUTS label has also sponsored charitable projects to raise donations for charities like the Tookie Redemption Fund (Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams).

Trinidad radio personality Dr. Amita Handa says Imaan Faith is "an incredible new talent ; listen to this rapper from Tehran making youth think about the choices they''re making and hoping to keep them safe." Imaan's story is already becoming legend, and it's only just begun.

To enter the ThugLifeArmy.com give away for the new Imaan Faith mixtape CD entitled "Change of Plans", hosted and produced by award-winning DJ Clinton Sparks, send an email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and put Imaan Faith Give Away in the subject box.

This give away will end August 10th. Winners at that time will be asked for their addresses (no PO Boxes please).

For more about Imaan Faith or ClintonSparks visit www.ImaanFaith.com and www.ClintonSparks.com respectively.