Jamil Suleman recently released a song lambasting the American college experience – how, despite having an impeccable academic record, he himself still had amazing trouble finding enough work to pay the bills. Jamil is bright fellow with a butter voice and an eye on social change. We had the chance to chat with the man about his inspiration for the tune and what he might say to a young person on the come up.

What was the moment when you thought you had to write and record this song?

I’d graduated college back in ‘07, and since then was in and out of jobs. Everything from sales, to catering, busboy, to social worker. I did it all. A lot of the time, I realized I didn’t even need a degree to do those things, and yet there were a lot of cats getting paid double with a diploma. After teaching the Hip Hop class at the UW in 2012, (called The Brew with Third Andresen), that’s when I wrote it, huddled in the basement of my college studio.

So you were working jobs that didn’t require the degree and you were frustrated with what work you had available despite your degree all while seeing other people making way more bank?

Exactly. I was like, damn, I graduated top of my class, worked real hard, got involved on campus for a job at the grocery store? You’re kidding me.

Why, your mind, weren’t you working those high-paying jobs?

Because the schools these days are looking for a specific kind of student, a specific kind of person, to fill a certain need in the world. And I just wasn’t an engineer or a doctor so…. can I have fries with that?

What would be your advice to, say, a 14 or 16 year old student trying to plan for the next ten years? 

I’d say, find your passion. That’s number #1. Find your passion homie, and make it your purpose. And then go find people, people around you, famous people, successful people, whoever, and figure out what they did. Copy that, ask for advice, add your own flavor to it. And work hard until you get where you want to. Visualize it and manifest it. Gotta Act on your Dreams or someone will put you in one of theirs.

Has this worked for you? 

Yes, I observed, the whole time I’m switching jobs. I’m still rapping, I’m still writing, I’m still performing and working in the community. That’s my passion, that’s my purpose. Trial and error, but I got it there.

And your last release, “Curry NA Hurry,” got a lot of love from the people and media. So that must have felt good! 

Felt great man, so much fun, and the team we worked with really became a family over time. Spek, Tarik, Aaron, Syed Ramzey and the Fam really had a blast, plus it was a local hit!!

Last question – it’s interesting you use the word local – how important is that idea of community for you? 

Community is everything to me, it starts here and it ends here. I kinda got jaded with the whole concept of celebrity, and after meeting a few over the years, it really stuck out to me the kinds of qualities I want to express in my life: kindness, service, having a good time and helping others. That’s all Community. My next project is #GraffitiVillage, a children’s book about being a local kid and sharing with the People around us. As I say in Spek’s new song, About Tomorrow, “It takes a Village to do it, and a Vision to believe in, if we all work together, we can all see achievement.” That’s it right there. Community Love, like the Beacon Hill Block Party thrown by The Station Café – if we put the People above all else, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.