62: Black Supremacy Hip-Hop Cults & Dr. Malachi Z. York

Welcome back to Black Hoodie Alchemy, folks! This week we're going down a vast rabbit-hole of cult mentality, hip hop, new age metaphysics, heavy racism, classical conspiracy theories, and ancient alien pseudo-history! This is the story of cult leader and "inspirational" hip-hop figurehead "Dr. Malachi Z. York" AKA just Dwight York, who is not a real doctor. This man, through his own psychopathic charisma, started a cult offshoot of the Nation of Islam in the early 70s in Brooklyn, NY. But this steadily began to infuse all of the many ancient alien, white-devil-Illuminati, half-baked metaphysics of an un-learned wannabe scholar, and at a time where minorities were blatantly second-class citizens, Dwight York found his own culture to be easy predatory pickings.

And as luck would have it for him, he happened to be forming his cult right at the daw of hiphop, in the very place that it was beginning. Because of this, he remained a lowkey figurehead in hiphop for some time, and in some cases continues to be to this day. Whether through direct affiliation or direct acknowledgements, York has brushed shoulders with people like Jay Z, Stevie Wonder, Andre 3000, Erica Badu, Nas, and many many more, including all the way into the features on Jedi Mind Tricks albums in the early Philly underground scene. York was also friends with Afrika Bambaata, an alleged sexual abuser and founder of the hiphop awareness movement called Universal Zulu Nation, which was known to heavily inspire groups like A Tribe Called Quest and others more.

Now, does this mean that all these artists and musicians are terrible people directly affiliated with Bambaata and York? Not at all. Their allegations came out long after these psychopaths had staked their claim in their cultures, and they existed in a time before the internet, when information was much easier to compartmentalize. But all that being said, it is highly likely that at least some of these artists -- like Jay Z -- might have had connections that they have since tried to bury in order to save their public image.

This is a complex web of African American culture, hip hop history, disturbing cult leader tactics, and so much more -- but it is not an indictment of hip hop or African American culture as a whole! Rather, this is an attempt to separate the wheat from the chaff, and remind us all that cult leaders and cult mentality can be found in all aspects of life, and that no one is immune.

I hope you dig the episode this week!

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Show Notes:

Cult of Middle GA

NY Times Malachi York

Jay Z and Jazz O

Cult details

SPLC on York

Philly Rap and York

Cult TImeline Info

Malachi York Achievements

This week's featured music -- don't forget to support that black hoodie rap and all your favorite independent artists!

La La Lala - Hex One x Snowgoons

God's Image - Unknown Mizery x Arkeologists

Dali - Arkeologists x Tribesmen

Underworld Politics - School of Thought