Rap Pioneer Jalal Mansur Nuriddin Of The Last Poets Dies At Age 74

Considered the "Grandfather of Rap," Nuriddin contributed seminal works to the birth of hip-hop with spoken-word group the Lost Poets and as a solo artist

Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, an influential rap pioneer and member of spoken-word group the Last Poets, has died. The news was confirmed via a family statement. No official cause of death has been revealed and details regarding a memorial service are forthcoming. He was 74 years old.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1944, Nuriddin's captivating work on the first two albums by the Last Poets, 1970's self-titled debut and the 1971 follow-up, This Is Madness, earned him the title of the "Grandfather of Rap." These albums utilized driving rhythms and hypnotic chanting underneath bold and poetic spoken-word vocals, creating an early blueprint for the hip-hop movement that was to come.

In 1973 Nuriddin released his influential solo album, Hustlers Convention, under the moniker Lightnin' Rod, a name which captured his electrifying vocal delivery and the jolt of impact his words and records had on so many artists who came after him.

"If you were 14 years old and trying to understand the streets, it was sort of like a verbal Bible," said Public Enemy's Chuck D in a documentary about Hustlers Convention.

The album featured a nascent Kool & The Gang as the backing band, and went on to be sampled countless times, including by Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Producer Ron Saint Germain called Hustlers Convention "one of the most stolen and sampled albums ever made," while rapper Fab 5 Freddy deemed it "a cornerstone in the development of what is now a part of global culture [hip-hop]."

"Hustlers Convention is about two characters, who are saving themselves by any means necessary," Nuriddin said in 2015. "It wasn't like they were educated at Harvard, you know? They was already facing discrimination by coming from the ghetto. They had to use their wits without actually breaking the law, because then they would go to jail, and the younger one did go to jail."

The album's influence was undeniable, but Nuriddin later lamented how its message was often taken at face value, and not as the wise cautionary tale it was intended to be, saying, " It looks good on the surface: it’s fast, it’s quick, it’s a road to riches and maybe some local fame. But at the end of the day you’re gonna pay for the crime, you gotta do the time."

Nuriddin continued to record and made a cameo with the Last Poets in the 1993 film Poetic Justice starring Tupac Shakur. His work continues to be re-discovered and celebrated as the legacy of hip-hop grows alongside interest in the genre's rich history. In 2015, British director Mike Todd produced a documentary on Hustlers Convention.

"It is with extreme sadness and a heavy heart that the family of Jalal Nuriddin announce the passing of this great pioneer of the recording industry," his family said in a statement. "Jalal slipped quietly away this evening into the arms of Allah."

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Rap Pioneer Jalal Mansur Nuriddin Of The Last Poets Dies At Age 74

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