Louis Farrakhan’s New Album Features Stevie Wonder, Common, Snoop Dogg
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan poses with a violin at a press conference following his 13 February, 2002 violin recital entitled ‘A Night of Beethoven: A Musical Tribute to Humanity’ in Cerritos, California. Image by Scott Nelson/AFP/Getty Images
By Aiden Pink March 15, 2018
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan just dropped a seven-CD album series — and some of your favorite artists may be on it.
Farrakhan, who has been accused of anti-Semitism for decades, released his “Let’s Change the World” musical box set late last month after years of planning and recording. Farrakhan himself plays on the album along with may prominent artists, include Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg and Common, according to Nation of Islam publications.
Common’s record label, Snoop Dogg’s agency and Wonder’s press representative did not immediately return requests for comment.
Farrakhan is an accomplished violinist who has frequently spoken about the power of music. The “Let’s Change the World” collection, which also includes a commemorative book and a behind-the-scenes DVD, is available for sale for $260.
According to The Final Call, the Nation of Islam’s newspaper, the album features 45 songs in a variety of genres, including classical, gospel, jazz, folk, opera, rap, reggae and calypso.
Farrakhan boasted last October that Snoop Dogg rapped the title track. Snoop Dogg joined the Nation of Islam in 2009 and spoke at the movement’s annual Saviours’ Day event, though he later drifted into Rastafarianism and for a time was known as “Snoop Lion.”
Other artists who reportedly appear in the album include singer Chaka Khan, rapper Rick Ross, reggae artist Damian Marley (Bob Marley’s son) and Stephanie Mills, who originated the role of Dorothy in the Broadway show “The Wiz.”
Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic views has been the subject of severe press scrutiny after ties between him and a leader of the Women’s March were reported.
In an op-ed responding to the accusations that Farrakhan is anti-Semitic, The Final Call noted that Snoop Dogg, Common, Chaka Khan and others were on his album.
“Surely these individuals would not associate with a hater,” they wrote.
Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com or on Twitter, @aidenpink
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