INFO

Azeem is a self-educated song writer, poet, and playwright who began his career as a spoken word artist in the 1990's. Featured in the PBS special- United States of Poetry, Once ranked 2nd Best Slam Poet in the nation, Azeem went on to release 6 critically acclaimed Hip Hop albums, named Best Rapper in the Bay Area 2004 and has toured in 25 different countries with his work. His solo theater piece titled RUDE won 2nd place for best solo theater performance in NYC's Downtown Urban Theater Festival. "Onstage he's a powerful force, an expert at working a crowd, and a source of inspiration for his audience." -Better Propaganda

Please send inquiries to: thepoetazeem@gmail.com

2000 - Saw the release of Azeem’s first solo EP, Garage Opera (Heratik), as well as a track on

OM Records Afro-Mystik's Future Tropic album.

2001 - Azeem followed up with the full-length album Craft Classic. Azeem's hilarious vocals and DJ Zeph's funky horn-laced beats earned the albums' single "Rubber Glue" the #2 spot on the CMJ Radio Rap Chart.

2003 - Azeem toured Europe with the Bomb Hip-Hop Tour.

2005 - Azeem signed to Wide Hive Records as song writer and front man for the album Mayhem Mystics which according to Billboard Magazine contained “the benefits of fine crafting”

2007 - Om Records released the album Rise Up by Zeph and Azeem, which was licensed to numerous television shows including HBO’s popular series, Entourage.

2008 - Zeph and Azeem toured the nation with the hip hop group Souls of Mischief and then embarked to Australia to tour with Talib Kweli.

2009 - Azeem released Air Cartoons and won 1st place in a B.E.T. video competition for the video, Open Em’ Up, which eventually lands on MTV-U and Also in ‘09, Azeem’s video Latin Revenge went viral and became a featured front page video on youtube

2009 - The Marsh Theater in San Francisco chose Azeem to participate in a James Irvine Foundation Grant to create a solo performance play titled- Rude Boy. East Bay Express, which once crowned Azeem “Best of the Bay-Hip Hop Artist," says of Rude Boy “ it is intense, revelatory, transcendent, brilliant, poignant, and tragic." The SF Bay Guardian proclaimed-"Its combination of raw energy, deft delivery, beautifully honed characters, and inspired narrative flow was so transporting – I actually lost my hang-over!" Oakland Post said, "Anyone who claims to love contemporary theater and does not go is committing sacrilege."

2010 - Azeem performs in the Maldive Islands and has the honor to meet President Mohamed Nasheed.

2011 - Travels to Algeria and Tunisia as Hip Hop Ambassador Program with U.S. State Dept.

2012 - Rewrites play to Rude and performs in Koln Germany at Theater die Wohngemeinschaft

2013 - Rude won 2nd Place for solo theater in New York City‘s Down Town Urban Theater Festival

2014 - Artist in Residence at 651 Arts - Dedicated to the Performing Arts of the African Diaspora.... POSTERA a film and theater hybrid is premiered at BRIC. Written & Performed by Azeem

2014 / 2015 - Azeem joined forces with Cologne Germany's production duo Ancient Astronauts forming

Band of Broken Puppets, and recording a full length EP, Title TBD.

"His catalog of albums stand as some of the most intelligent, thought-provoking hip-hop music ever to come out of the Bay Area." - The San Francisco Chronicle