rajae, March 18, 2010 1:18:02 PM CET
Rajae introducing Malcolm Lateef Shabazz Snippet (Low Res)
Rajae El Mouhandiz is a young Muslim woman from Amsterdam. She is also a world renowned singer of North African descent whose second CD, Hand of Fatima, was released in December 2009. One of the singles in the video, Malcolm Lateef Shabazz, has garnered a lot of positive attention in the past few months. Her inspiration for the song is none other than Malcolm Lateef Shabazz, the grandson of Malcolm X (1925-1965), one of the most prominent African-American leaders in U.S. history.
The song reminds people that they have a right to be themselves. Everyone should have the opportunity to be themselves, instead of what people expect them to be, she says. Malcolm Lateef Shabazz knows this message well. As the first male descendant of his iconic grandfather, Malcolm faced many pressures. Rajaes music, he says, raises his spirits, while simultaneously pleads in favour of equality and integration. In the video, Rajae speaks out against media hypes, manipulation and the abuse of authority.