Toki Wright

{{short description|American rapper (born 1980)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Toki Wright | image = Toki Wright Day of Dignity Minneapolis 15860366371.jpg | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = Toki Wright | caption = Toki Wright performing live in 2012. | birth_name = | alias = Mamadu<ref name=thecurrent/> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|03|27}}<ref>{{cite web|first=Toki|last=Wright|url=https://twitter.com/mrwrighttc/status/317002747213934593|title=how im spending my birthday|work=Twitter|date=March 27, 2013|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}</ref><ref name=regional>{{cite book|first=Justin|last=Schell|chapter=From St. Paul to Minneapolis, All the Hands Clap for This: Hip Hop in the Twin Cities|editor-first=Mickey|editor-last=Hess|title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide|url=https://archive.org/details/hiphopamericareg00hess|url-access=limited|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|year=2010|pages=[https://archive.org/details/hiphopamericareg00hess/page/n463 381]}}</ref> | birth_place = Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.<ref name=regional/> | origin = | death_date =  | death_place = | genre = Hip hop<ref>{{cite web|first1=Sean|last1=O'Neal|first2=Reyan|last2=Ali|url=https://www.avclub.com/toki-wright-is-for-the-children-1798218217|title=Toki Wright is for the children|work=The A.V. Club|date=October 28, 2009|access-date=August 15, 2019}}</ref> | occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|educator}} | instrument = | years_active = 2003–present | website =  }} '''Toki Wright''' (born March 27, 1980) is an American rapper and music educator from Minneapolis. His debut solo studio album, ''A Different Mirror'', was released on Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|first=Peter S.|last=Scholtes|url=http://www.citypages.com/music/toki-wright-a-different-mirror-6722257|title=Toki Wright: A Different Mirror|work=City Pages|date=June 10, 2009|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Toki Wright was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States on March 27, 1980.<ref name=regional/> He attended Camden High School.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jamal|last=Denman|url=https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/minnesota-college-offers-first-hip-hop-diploma/|title=Minnesota college offers first hip hop diploma|work=Twin Cities Daily Planet|date=April 3, 2009|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}</ref> He later graduated from the University of Minnesota.<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Riemenschneider|url=http://www.startribune.com/toki-wright-ready-for-his-close-up/45761722/|title=Toki Wright: Ready for his close-up|work=Star Tribune|date=May 24, 2009|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}</ref>

==Career==

=== Musician === Toki Wright met Adonis D. Frazier in 1998, and they formed The C.O.R.E. (Children of Righteous Elevation).<ref name="regional" /> The duo's debut album, ''Metropolis'', was released in 2003.<ref name="core">{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Riemenschneider|url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/11509986.html|title=Lords of Discipline: Locals the C.O.R.E. fight for hip-hop's positive side|work=Star Tribune|date=February 6, 2003|accessdate=February 9, 2014}}</ref> As well as being a member of The Chosen Few,<ref name="illuminous">{{cite web|first=Justin|last=Schell|url=http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/2008/12/10/southside-house-illuminous-3.html|title=Southside in the house! Illuminous 3 drop new disc at the Entry|work=Twin Cities Daily Planet|date=December 10, 2008|accessdate=February 9, 2014}}</ref> Toki Wright has released a number of solo recordings, including ''A Different Mirror'' (2009), ''Black Male'' (2010), and ''Faders'' (2012).<ref>{{cite web|first1=Bridget|last1=Bennett|first2=Spencer|last2=Doar|url=http://www.mndaily.com/ae/music/hip-hop/2013/07/17/back-studio-toki-wright|title=Back in the studio with Toki Wright|work=Minnesota Daily|date=July 17, 2013|accessdate=February 9, 2014}}</ref> In 2014, he released a collaborative album with producer Big Cats, titled ''Pangaea''.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=Reyneke|url=http://potholesinmyblog.com/toki-wright-big-cats-pangaea-album-stream/|title=Stream Toki Wright and Big Cats' New Collaborative Album 'Pangaea' In Its Entirety|work=Potholes in My Blog|date=September 25, 2014|accessdate=November 9, 2014}}</ref> In 2017, he released an EP, ''At the Speed of Life 3''.<ref name="thecurrent">{{cite web|first=Andrea|last=Swensson|url=http://blog.thecurrent.org/2017/05/toki-wright-embraces-a-new-identity-as-mamadu/|title=Toki Wright embraces a new identity as Mamadu|work=The Current|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|date=May 18, 2017|accessdate=May 18, 2017}}</ref>

==== Styles and influences ==== Toki Wright stated that "A Different Mirror", the title track from his 2009 album, was inspired by Ronald Takaki's ''A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America'', saying: "Unless we look into a different mirror we will only see our own reflection. American history for example might be all apple pies and American flags for many, but the history of people of color in America is filled with poverty [and] hatred".<ref name="different">{{cite web |last=Horgen |first=Tom |date=November 18, 2010 |title=Music video: Toki Wright's "A Different Mirror" |url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/blogs/108984794.html |accessdate=February 9, 2014 |work=Star Tribune}}</ref>

=== Educator === Toki Wright also launched and led the hip hop studies program at McNally Smith College of Music, which closed in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|first=Jenna|last=Ross|url=http://www.startribune.com/hip-hop-artist-educator-toki-wright-says-goodbye-to-minneapolis-it-s-pushing-me-to-make-decisions/486298221/|title=Hip-hop artist, educator Toki Wright says goodbye to Minneapolis: 'It's pushing me to make decisions'|work=Star Tribune|date=June 24, 2018|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, he became Assistant Chair of Professional Music at Berklee College of Music.<ref>{{cite web|first=Andrea|last=Swensson|url=https://blog.thecurrent.org/2018/06/toki-wright-talks-about-relocating-to-boston-to-work-at-berklee-college-of-music/|title=Toki Wright talks about relocating to Boston to work at Berklee College of Music|work=The Current|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|date=June 22, 2018|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}</ref>

==Discography==

===Studio albums=== * ''Metropolis'' (2003) {{small|(with Adonis D. Frazier, as The C.O.R.E.)}} * ''A Different Mirror'' (2009) * ''Pangaea'' (2014) {{small|(with Big Cats)}}

===Mixtapes=== * ''Faders'' (2012)

===EPs=== * ''Black Male'' (2010) * ''Speed of Life: Volume 1'' (2011) * ''Prelude to Pangaea'' (2014) {{small|(with Big Cats)}} * ''At the Speed of Life 3'' (2017)

===Singles=== * "Focus" (2006) * "Next Best Thing" (2009) * "More Fiya" (2010) * "25/8/366" (2010) * "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (2010) * "Real Live" (2011) * "Trakhouse" (2011) {{small|(with Emazin, Talib Kweli, and I Self Devine)}} * "Let Me Live" (2012) * "Short Circuit" (2013) {{small|(with Kristoff Krane and Carnage the Executioner)}} * "For Amiri Baraka" (2014) {{small|(with Big Cats)}} * "Climate Change" (2017) * "Frequency" (2018) {{small|(with Big Cats)}}

===Guest appearances=== * P.O.S - "Ants" from ''Ipecac Neat'' (2004) * Sims - "Market Made Murder" from ''Lights Out Paris'' (2005) * Atmosphere - "Crewed Up" from ''Strictly Leakage'' (2007) * BK-One - "Face It" from ''Rádio do Canibal'' (2009) * St. Paul Slim - "Something Better" from ''Bald Headed Samsun'' (2010) * Mike Swoop - "Let It Go" from ''New Love'' (2010) * Greenhouse - "Only You" from ''Electric Purgatory Part 2'' (2010) * Bob Marley - "Sun Is Shining (Booka B Remix)" (2011) * Destro - "Yah, Yah, Yah" from ''Ill.ustrated'' (2011) * Abstract Rude + Musab - "Plan C" from ''The Awful Truth'' (2012) * B. Dolan - "Film the Police" from ''House of Bees Vol. 2'' (2012) * Guante and Big Cats - "Until There's Nothing Left" from ''You Better Weaponize'' (2012) * Mixed Blood Majority - "Story to Tell" from ''Mixed Blood Majority'' (2013) * Phases Cachées - "L'American" from ''Boule à Facettes'' (2013) * Culture Cry Wolf - "Ransom" from ''The Sapient Sessions'' (2013) * IBE & Benzilla - "Wake Up!" from ''This, That and the Third'' (2013) * Atmosphere - "Color in the Snow" (2013) * Shinobi Gaines - "Livin Right" from ''Night Crawler Reloaded'' (2013) * The Regiment - "The Solution" from ''Live from the Coney Island'' (2013) * Ceewhy - "Goodspeed" from ''Freedom = Genius'' (2014) * Sti-Lo Reel - "Blues Brothers" from ''MLK (Mortify, Live & Kill)'' (2014) * Mike the Martyr - "Build Clinton" from ''Marbury'' (2015) * Sleep Sinatra - "Nezhno" from ''Vibranium'' (2016) * G Yamazawa - "Talk That Talk" from ''Shouts to Durham'' (2017) * Adam Meckler Orchestra - "Our Death Under Your Pillow" from ''Magnificent Madness'' (2019)

==Music videos== * "Devil's Advocate" (2009) * "A Different Mirror" (2010) * "The Freshest Kids" (2010) {{small|(with Brother Ali and Evidence)}} * "More Fiya" (2010) * "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (2010) * "The Soul (Go There)" (2011) * "Real Live" (2012) {{small|(with Yakub)}} * "This One (Free Verse)" (2012) * "Film the Police" (2012) {{small|(with Sage Francis, B. Dolan, and Jasiri X)}} * "Ode to Maximillian Cohen (π)" (2012) * "No Gimmicks" (2013) * "Livin Right" (2013) {{small|(with Shinobi Gaines)}} * "Short Circuit" (2013) {{small|(with Kristoff Krane and Carnage the Executioner)}} * "High Definition" (2013) * "The Solution" (2014) {{small|(with The Regiment)}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Discogs artist|Toki Wright|Toki Wright}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Toki}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:University of Minnesota alumni Category:Rhymesayers Entertainment artists Category:Rappers from Minneapolis Category:21st-century American rappers Category:Camden High School (Minnesota) alumni Category:21st-century American male rappers