Customer Reviews

Like a Thief in the Night

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When asked what became of the seeds of the revolution? You will think about Amir Sulaiman. His dedication to the truth and righteousness of life speaks to you loud and clear in this CD project "Like A Thief In The Night" So refreshing to know that the messengers' have not been completely drowned out by the noise of the paper chasers who sold hip-hop out. Every track on this CD says something to the conscious mind to the blind and the bewildered while maintaining its raw credibility that is really hip-hop. From the track "Spit - Let it be known" is your warning and the journey through the collab with Mos Def "When I Die" well set you back on course. And what a treat to hear Goapele singing the backdrop of "They Don't Know". Ya'll need to cop this joint and keep it in your collection next to KRS-One, Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron and the likes

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SubhanAllah, it takes me back to my roots. Hard hitting, east coast beats under fresh, pleasantly poetic lyrics. He transcends boundaries of race and religion and delivers exactly what the dying hip-hop community needs. It is rich with a tapestry of self-reflection, calls to action, lamenting the suffering of the down-trodden, and foretelling of a victory for the righteous. Absent is the typical lyrical bravado and self-aggrandizement of most rappers (even many Muslim rappers).

Make no mistake about it, he is Muslim and apparently a lover of Ahlul-bayt (peace be upon them), and it is not unusual for him to fall into the ecstasy of his own lyrics and start chanting la ilaha il-Allah (there is no god but Allah). In that way it has the symbolic texture of classical Islamic poetry as though it were the modern-day qasida or ghazal.

Still, his lyrics are also very political, very pro-black, and very anti-oppression. He is part of the new wave of hip-hop artists trying to reclaim the culture that was abducted and molested by the mainstream music industry. And with guest appearances by cultural pioneers such as the Last Poets and hip-hop reformist and fellow Muslim Mos Def, the message certainly hits home.

The only complaint I could really have about the CD is that it's not enough. I would like to sit and pick this brother's brain for hours, and unfortunately, I only get a little over 50 minutes. May Allah reward his efforts and purify the bounties that he receives through his jihad.

I'm not sure if these are poetic songs or song-like poems but they are amazing. The tracks are on point and the lyrics are amazing. It like listening to unadulterated hiphop.

Call it ironic but Hip-Hop has been more welcoming to muslim rap than Christian rap. This known fact makes Amir Sulaiman exhale. The Kufi wearing, surah reciting, bush beard spoken word emcee from the Bay Areahas made a wonderful entrance with Life A Thief, a CD of poetic ruminations and divine political opinion. The man is on the up and up with invites to Def Poetry Jam, Amnesty International, and Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Push Coalition. He represents Uprising Records, the same music conglomerate that pushed out Fall Out Boy to the masses.

Amir Sulaiman loves catch words. He is quick to spew out words like "heavens", "love," "pain," "freedom." Such words normally do not constitute cutting edge poetry but in Like A Thief, Sulaiman has a knack for vocalizing them in a way that convey their visceral meaning. In Make It Through, he sermonizes, "She said that she would prefer a broken neck to another broken heart/ And I said, "Even the beauty of birth leaves its own scars." Sulaiman has lines like that for days as he is bolstered by a legendary of revolutionary soothsayers Abiodun of the Last Poets, Goapele, and Mos Def.

Conveniently, it's a great segway to talk about "When I Die" the track with the Brooklyn gritty soul. Mighty Mos and Amir rip the track with their musings on the purpose life. (We get the plan, Mos. Sabotage the commercial project like Kanye West, and keep it gully on the true underground cameos...love it. Anyway, with the sensitive joints like "How Beautiful" and the warfare like "Spit," Amir has a pretty balanced energy.

There might be a limit to how much prose poetry can be felt over a beat, but Amir is pushing that standard as far as it can stretch.

Amir Sulaiman's "Like A Thief In The Night" was a deep collection of poetic tracks that embodies alternative and positive Hip-Hop.

His voice is not the most attractive but he demonstrates his passion for politics, history and social views quite well. His delivery is superb...I admire his deep thoughts...his motive for creating this album is far beyond any materialistic desires and instead to express his true honorable character.

The best songs on this album include: "Head To The Sky", "They Don't Know" ft. Goapele, "When I Die" ft. Mos Def, "Spit", "How Beautiful" and "Killers" ft. Jeni Fujita.

But, it only takes the first track, "I Love You" or "Danger" to show you his passion and dedication for this powerful album. This is PURE POETRY! Buy it.

if you're looking for a switch up from mainstream hiphop, then you probably tried out underground music or something more substantive; picking up the roots, kanye west, mos def, wyclef jean and etc.
Like a Thief in the Night is an entertaining and insightful album from start to finish. The title track is convincing enough to listen the whole cd throughout.
Amir's album succeeds where these artists occasionally fall back into regular rap routines with cursing, gun talk and women.
Because of Amir's open religious tone he is able to produce a full album with "struggle" related issues sans vulgarity both in language and subject. For this I feel he is superior to other rappers.
In addition the album is an enjoyable hearing for any listener of hip hop, the beats and raps flow, and on multiple hearings you begin to appreciate Amir's unique talent of making the subtleties of living life something worth listening to.
I would compare Amir's lyrical content to the College Dropout by Kanye West, because both artists focus on relationships between many types of people from a view other than at the end of a gun.

Great listen and convinces you to want to see him perform live. (hint hint youtube)