Artist: Kanwer Singh
MC Name: Humble the Poet
Reprezentin’: Toronto, Canada

His/Story: Growing up in ethnically-diverse North West Toronto, elementary school teacher Kanwer Singh, 28, developed his love of hip hop early on. “I would walk to school every day with my CD player, just listening to any artist who had anything worth saying,” he recalls. Artists such as Outkast, Lauryn Hill, Nas, and Saul Williams helped shape his contribution to hip hop, which he describes as “’believe me music.’ The only criteria is that it is honest and it will always do justice to the art form.”

Singh admits that he has never actually talked to his dad, a cab driver in Toronto, about his affinity towards the spoken word, but knows that both of his parents, his two sisters, and even his extended family, fully support him. “My dad sees it as poetry, and tries not to lump me in with the Puff Daddies and Fifty Cents. But I know he hasn’t heard any of my work. He’s not a fan of swearing.“

Paying the Bills: Had it not been for his sister suggesting he teach, Singh very well may have followed up his practical undergraduate degree in Information Technology with an even more practical MBA. With his volunteer experience at Sikh Youth Camps and good rapport with children, teaching seemed like it would be a good fit. “Teaching is pretty much effective delivery of content, and igniting a fire of learning,” says Singh, who employs these same skills in his other “job” as an emcee. “My goal is to break down and articulate complex ideas and emotions to the listener. This task is no different then trying to explain to an eight-year-old how plants get food from the sun.”

Fight The Power: With politically-laced tracks like “F*ck Obama,” Singh is not afraid of controversy.  “Criticism on my content comes with the territory,” he explains. “I’m sure Barack Obama is cool, but he’s a political figure, and he plays political games. And it was important to call out his B.S. early, not to defame his character, but to show folks that the powers that be will put a colored man on stage to help avoid a revolution. I think people should not aspire to become successful within the confines of this inequitable racist system, but instead use their energy to overcome that system.”

Listen Up: Humble the Poet is collaborating with Sikh Knowledge on their first official single, “LovHer,” in late October. Check out his blog, listen and download music, or find out where to catch him live at http://www.thepoetproject.com

Artist: Jagmeet “Hoodini” Singh
MC Name: Hoodini
Reprezentin’: Los Angeles, California

His/Story: Growing up in L.A., the 19-year-old UCLA sophomore got grounded in hip-hop at a very young age. “All the way back in third grade, I was listening to Will Smith rhymes and writing some myself,” he says, laughing. “The first song I wrote in third grade was this track called ‘Smackaroo to Timbaktoo’ about this kid who got in so much trouble, his mom hit him so bad he ended up in Timbaktoo, Africa.”

Rising Up: The “feel good” rhymes of Will Smith were just the beginning.  Soon he was listening to heavyweights like N.W.A., Public Enemy and Wu Tang Clan. “Songs like ‘Fuck the Police’ by N.W.A. may not be the most child-friendly, but they present a reality that isn’t covered in the media,” says Singh. “It’s a reality that needs to be heard. And it’s helped us, as people of color in America, not just Sikhs but blacks, Latinos, Asians, Indians, Punjabis, whatever it may be. Hip-hop provides people of
color an outlet as the underdogs in America.”

On the Downlow: Singh kept his music under wraps until it was outted by an interfering auntie. “This auntie went up to my dad like, ‘I heard your son’s music. It was really good.’ And my dad was like, ‘My son sings?’” he says. “So finally I showed him the CD and he was like, ‘You’re pretty good. You just need somebody to hear you and I think you’ll go far.’ That’s how my parents found out! They were very supportive, but I didn’t plan on telling them. I was afraid to actually, but God has his own plan. You know how it is.”

The Practical Activist: Singh is very passionate about his music, but he doesn’t view hip-hop as the only road to activism. “My parents are very supportive of my music. But at the same time, my dad understands that his own success is largely due to his education. And I understand that as well,” says the Global Studies major. “So I stay in school. Eventually I want to go to law school so I can work as a Civil Rights Attorney. I just want to give back to humanity, in one way or another. Activists take many forms, hip-hop artists and (uncorrupted) civil rights attorneys included.”

Listen Up: Find “Hoodini’s latest, “The Magic Show,” at rukusavenue.com, or check out his older stuff at myspace.com/HoodiniSingh

Artist: Kanwar Anit Singh Saini
MC Name: Sikh Knowledge
Reprezentin’: Montreal, Canada

His/Story: Raised by a single father in Montreal, Canada from the age of 16, Saini, 28, was on track to study engineering when the then eighth grader was waylaid by a Smith & Wesson instrumental on Rap City. “It hit me like a ton of bricks,” he recalls. “It was ‘Soundboy Burial,’ and I heard that instrumental and my life changed. That was it. I was convinced this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Make beats. Make music. It’s just that passion in me.”

Smart Boy: After getting his BA in Music with a minor in Linguistics from Concordia University, Saini completed his Masters of Science in Speech Language Pathology at McGill University. “As a colored man in North America, I would love to make the statement,” says Saini, “that you can be an emcee or musician and still be an educated man, you know? I wasn’t blessed with the wallet, but I still have hip-hop.”

Standing Up: Saini says his music is a call to action against oppression, which he himself faced growing up in Montreal. “There were tons of racial issues, we had to fight for certain things – from wearing a kara (a steel bracelet) during basketball to wearing a patka (a small piece of cloth Sikh boys wear to cover their hair) during basketball,” says the turbaned rapper. “There were the obvious looks and stares after the Air India bombing in 1985 and after Sept. 11th.  And two years ago, I was asked by a judge to ‘take my hat off’ when I was protesting a parking ticket. Of course I didn’t and I complained.” Then he channeled his frustrations into his music.

Standing Out: “I’m the ultimate minority. Even in the gay clubs in Montreal, I stand out because I’m Sikh and I spin hip-hop while they’re all about techno,” laughs Saini, who came out in 2001.  “Despite the homophobia that pervades hip hop, being gay afforded me the emotions to rhyme about shit I needed to get out. Being Sikh, as a visible minority, I always feel the need to level the table with everyone. It’s a very self conscious game, like, can I explain myself with art?”

Listen Up: Check out the latest, including his new track “Loveher” with Humble the Poet, on myspace.com/sikhknowledge or check out his blog at www.bomr.ca