From the Narcissist, to Jamal Abdul Narcel, to Narcy (pronounced Nar-See), this prolific emcee has delivered track after track of insight and brave commentary. After the tragic loss of Nofy Fannan, from Sandhill Productions, and a main pillar of the Euphrates crew, Narcy was thwarted onto the scene alone. A solo artist now, Narcy continues to strive and renew his thematics and sound. His marks on this magazine are everywhere. As a writer, poet, and artist, he continues to empower youth around the world. Here is our latest discussion with him.

shakomakonet: You regulary speak of breaking stereotypes, what role does independent media have in that?
Narcy: I think media in general is a definite source and carrier of stereotypical representation of many 'ethnic' characters in both the political and social fields. The most powerful form of stereotype agenda would have to be through Hollywood and its conglomerate bodies. Independent media has the duty to be free, untouched or scathed by the political niches constructed through the grand narrative of media culture. So yes, Indy media has the role of relegating a new representative face, or at least can attempt to deconstruct that of the general consensus built through the commercial media.

shakomakonet: What inspires your writing?
Narcy: Man, truly, writing is second nature to me now, I'm inspired by the people around me, the
struggle I see in their eyes and the search for a reason to why our people are in the position
they are in now. I find inspiration in the brothers and sisters around me that are trying to
change and grow out of the misery that surrounds them, as well as the light in the eyes of those
I Love. My biggest inspiration has to be the daily existence of being.

shakomakonet: What do you want your art to do for the people in Iraq?
Narcy: I hope my art just opens eyes out West to who we are as a generation of displaced Arabs.
I hope that it allows a dialogue to be developed. My ultimate goal is to fund Iraqis to come to
University out West or something where we can allow our people to grow and regain the knowledge of our elders that has been stripped by the power hungry politicians from inside and outside our country.

shakomakonet: Does the fact that most people outside the so-called West aren't into hiphop
present an unsurmountable obstacle for you?
Narcy: Not at all, I think the curiousity is sparked by what you don't know. I've converted a
good about of 'khalas' (aunts) and '3amus' (uncles) to the hip-hop at my shows. They roll up and
be like WHERE CAN I get A CD...hahah. If I can make my 'khaloo' (uncle) dance to hip-hop, I can
make just about anyone love this culture...hahaha. TRUST ME.

shakomakonet: have you ever thought of recording an album in Arabic?
Narcy: I have always added Arabic into my verses and sometimes written entire songs in Iraqi. If
I were to do that, it would be for a specific area to pick up, The Middle East or even Europe.
North America isn't very open to such a culture mash, but I am currently working on an Arabic
album actually, alongside about five other projects!

shakomakonet: Your new album is solo, what does that mean to your evolvement?
Narcy: It just means I have 100 say as to where my record is going. I definitely feel a lot more
responsibility to the sound, vibe and direction of the record but it will stay along the lines
of how I feel personally more than politically. As Arabs, we have no choice but to be political.
If you say you aren't, then you are lying to yourself. With this album, I just wanted to hit the
studio and be free with what I do, wild out a bit. The Illuminarcy Trilogy should be out in May.

shakomakonet: You are, what is called, a political mc, do you accept that label, and how does
that place limits on you to distribute your music?
Narcy: I mean, I am political in content, but I am more than that for sure. A lot of people I
have met have assumed I am this militant minded angry Arab, but get down to the root of it, I
just love my land and hip-hop music. A lot of listeners don't read between the lines, and when
I've been approached by labels I've been asked to dumb down my music, but I never will. I feel
it will then be a forced venture and I'm not staying true to my heart. It has not helped with
the distribution of the records but it has also helped rally the troops per se and grown into a
worldwide Arab hip-hop culture.

shakomakonet: There is lots of soul in the beats, the samples are raw, the beat is kick and
snare with a lot of oomph. They are really moving and very creative. What drives them and to
what extent are you involved in that process?
Narcy: In my last albums with Euphrates, I had the ability to choose from a vast array of
flavors laid down by Habillis and Nofy. I never really felt the need to tell them what to do,
they had there own vision and sound, and I handled the lyrics. On my new album, I have been
producing beats, having instrumentalists come in and layer shit, playing the drums, harmonizing
a bit more. It has become a complete process as opposed to being just an MC. I took the
challenge on to MAKE my album, not just be in it.

shakomakonet: Narcy, what do live shows mean to you, where did the worst and best shows take place?
Narcy: Live shows are the bread and butter of this. You get to really touch people with your
words and get positive or negative feedback from the crowd. It's all about human energy in
music, that is what keeps the beat pulsating. The best show I have done has to be the one I
rocked in Amman with my boys from the Philistines, the N.O.M.A.D.S., DJ Fred Wreck and
Excentrik. We got invited out to do a show in Amman on the top of a hill for 3 thousand people.
It was an eye opening experience to go full circle back to the East and be accepted musically.
That was something that kept it moving at a point where I am frustrated with my direction in
life. It resparked the flame for me. There has been many bad shows due to wack promoters, wack
sound or venue, and horrible entourage. But every show is a blessing regardless.

Thanks to Narcy, who will always be a big part of the work that we do.