In this insightful, music-infused origin story, rapper and current Street Poets board member Chirag Menon a.k.a. CHEE MALABAR breaks down his journey from India to inner-city America at the age of 12, and the role that hip-hop played in his healing, political awakening and evolution as a man.  Today, Chee serves as a principal in the well-respected consulting firm, THIRD SETTLEMENTS, while continuing to make music that inspires change and challenges the status quo.

This STREET POETS PODCAST episode 
"IMMIGRANT SONG: The Chee Malabar Story"
is a production of Street Poets Inc. (streetpoetsinc.com)
• Hosted by Art Quiros
• Produced by Chris Henrikson
• Edited by Art Quiros
• Interview with Chirag Menon (a.k.a. Chee Malabar) 
• ORIGINAL MUSIC by CHEE MALABAR
This episode includes the following original music featuring lyrics and vocals by Chee Malabar: "Postcards from Paradise" (instrumental: Soulful MPs), "Feral Child" (instrumental: Harry Dixon), "Cold Water Awakening" (instrumental: Scott Kuzner), "Oblique Brown"  "Hafez's Tomb," "Masamune," "Henry" (instrumentals: Harry Dixon). Check out these tracks and other original music by CHEE MALABAR available for download via Bandcamp @cheemalabar.bandcamp.com and Apple Music. 
This episode also includes excerpts from Street Poets Inc. tracks "Sanskrit" (featuring Pranidhi Varshney), and "Lost Sons" and "American Me" featuring Chee Malabar, and "The Holy" (poem by Chee Malabar), available for download with all Street Poets music @streetpoets.bandcamp.com and at Street Poets Inc. via Soundcloud.
• Additional Background Music by Kevin Woods
• Street Poets "I Got Love" Podcast Theme Music features:
Vocals by BRIA & Taylor Code, Music by Dave Wittman

For more information about Chirag Menon's DEI consulting work: thirdsettlements.com

For more information about Street Poets' youth outreach programs in the streets, schools and probation facilities of Los Angeles and beyond: streetpoetsinc.com   

METAPHORS BE WITH YOU!