Malcolm London

Called the Gil-Scott Heron of this generation by Cornel West, Malcolm London is a young Chicago poet, performer, activist, educator, and "activist." As an organizer, London was part of a historic youth delegation to the United Nations in Geneva to address police violence in Chicago. Deeply invested in education, he has also worked in service for the Chicago Public Schools, regularly visiting high schools, youth jails, colleges, and communities to work with students on writing workshops and performances.

As a poet, London's notable works include "High School Training Ground," "Never Too Late," "Rome Wasn't Built In A Day (Love Sosa)," and "Why You Talk Like That." His performances, which have won him individual honors at the Louder Than A Bomb youth poetry competition, have taken place at various venues in Chicago, including the Chicago Jazz Festival, the Du Sable Museum, and Steppenwolf Theater. London also had the opportunity to read a portion of his poem, "High School Training Grounds," at a TED talk. He has appeared on several other TED Talks with John Legend and Bill Gates.

London also runs the largest youth open mic in Chicago alongside friend Chance The Rapper and rapper Lupe Fiasco, with whom he also hosts events and performances. Additionally, he appeared in a television series called "Verses & Flow." He has also worked for Kevin Coval, helping with the organization Young Chicago Authors. London was the co-chair of the Chicago chapter of the Black Youth Project and remains an active participant in social issues, having been arrested at a protest against the murder of Laquan McDonald.

London is now taking what he's learned from teaching and becoming an activist and putting it into music. London was one of three artists profiled in the Billboard Documentary piece, “Saving Chicago: Inside Hip-Hops Movement to Make Chicago a Better Place,” when his debut project, "#OPIA," was released in October 2016. In 2018, London released his first documentary, "Some Call It A Conspiracy: A Malcolm London Story," featuring Chance The Rapper.