Southside Chicago poet turned rapper Malik Yusef, known as the Wordsmyth, began his career in the mid-'90s performing at open-mic nights. His unique free-form style caught the attention of director Ted Witcher, leading to coaching roles in the film Love Jones and appearances on BET and HBO. Yusef's talent also attracted major corporate collaborations with Nike, ASCAP, Sprite, and Coca-Cola. Transitioning into the rap world, he contributed to albums by Channel Live, Common, and Carl Thomas, and released his solo debut, The Great Chicago Fire -- A Cold Day in Hell, in 2003 featuring collaborations with Kanye West, Xtreme, Chantay Savage, and more. His diverse talents also led to a spoken word jazz collaboration with saxophonist Mike Phillips on a project endorsed by Michael Jordan.
