Napoleon, a former member of rap group The Outlawz closed proceedings for Islamic Awareness week on Friday and revealed how embracing Islam had saved him from ‘Thug Life’.

Mutah Beale, or as 2pac renamed him Napoleon because of his short stature, sat and answered questions and gave an hour long speech to the packed auditorium of students at Clattern Lecture theatre.

He spoke on how he had seen both of his parents murdered by his godfather at the age of 3 and how at the age of 12 he began writing raps and poetry about what he was seeing on a daily basis: “I was making music for the drug dealers.” 

As a young man he joined the successful rap group the Outlawz which was spearheaded by 2pac. “I began recording music, making money, smoking and drinking because I thought maybe this is what will make me happy.” But, his search for happiness continued unabated.

A few months after 2pac was shot and killed, Mutah got into a fight with his little brother. He was in a car park when he received a phone call informing him that he was in critical condition. Mutah admitted that this was what forced him to his lowest point and he remembered how he started punching car windows.  This was when he was approached by a Muslim brother and his journey towards understanding Islam began.

Mutah admitted that he was hesitant at first and initially “rolled up to the mosque with 30 homies, wanting to hang out.” He also said that the realisation that he would have to give up drink, drugs and fornication was hard but it was done “gradually” as it is what the Koran teaches. 

Mutah was passionate about the teachings and appeared very knowledgeable.  He answered questions on gender equality, communicating with non-Muslims and abstinence eloquently. The River asked him if he was still making music and if so how had embracing Islam changed it. He responded that he, along with all of the members of the Outlawz, who are all also Muslim converts, had stopped making music and that the “industry was unhealthy.”

He explained that devout Muslims don’t listen to music and so when an audience member asked him what his favourite 2pac and the Outlawz track was, the auditorium laughed in unison when he offered a wry smile and said “I don’t remember all that.”

What was evident as he spoke about his traumatic past was that he was happy and content in the present and excited about his future. It seemed that embracing Islam had given him the framework and stability in which he had been searching for all his life.

He urged all non-Muslims in the audience to learn about Islam through the teachings of Mohammed, and not from what he and other Muslim brothers had to say. He also spoke on how following Islam could steer young Muslim brothers away from living a gangster life and the evils associated with it. He referenced a fictional young man who called himself ‘Mo’, who wore baggy jeans and listened to Hip Hop with a certain level of derision. He said that one should be proud of being Muslim and not act like 50 cents or young Napoleons.

After the meeting was held, he gave Shahada to a student, which is when one becomes a Muslim. This was witnessed by many men who later rushed to shake hands and welcome the new brother to the growing Kingston Islamic community.