Toki Wright

Toki Wright was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States on March 27, 1980. He attended Camden High School.{{cite web|first=Jamal|last=Denman|url=https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/minnesota-college-offers-first-hip-hop-diploma/|title=Minnesota college offers first hip hop diploma|work=Twin Cities Daily Planet|date=April 3, 2009|accessdate=August 15, 2019}} He later graduated from the University of Minnesota.{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Riemenschneider|url=http://www.startribune.com/toki-wright-ready-for-his-close-up/45761722/|title=Toki Wright: Ready for his close-up|work=Star Tribune|date=May 24, 2009|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}

Toki Wright met Adonis D. Frazier in 1998, and they formed The C.O.R.E. (Children of Righteous Elevation). The duo's debut album, Metropolis, was released in 2003.{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Riemenschneider|url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/11509986.html|title=Lords of Discipline: Locals the C.O.R.E. fight for hip-hop's positive side|work=Star Tribune|date=February 6, 2003|accessdate=February 9, 2014}} As well as being a member of The Chosen Few,{{cite web|first=Justin|last=Schell|url=http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/2008/12/10/southside-house-illuminous-3.html|title=Southside in the house! Illuminous 3 drop new disc at the Entry|work=Twin Cities Daily Planet|date=December 10, 2008|accessdate=February 9, 2014}} Toki Wright has released a number of solo recordings, including A Different Mirror (2009), Black Male (2010), and Faders (2012).{{cite web|first1=Bridget|last1=Bennett|first2=Spencer|last2=Doar|url=http://www.mndaily.com/ae/music/hip-hop/2013/07/17/back-studio-toki-wright|title=Back in the studio with Toki Wright|work=Minnesota Daily|date=July 17, 2013|accessdate=February 9, 2014}} In 2014, he released a collaborative album with producer Big Cats, titled Pangaea.{{cite web|first=David|last=Reyneke|url=http://potholesinmyblog.com/toki-wright-big-cats-pangaea-album-stream/|title=Stream Toki Wright and Big Cats' New Collaborative Album 'Pangaea' In Its Entirety|work=Potholes in My Blog|date=September 25, 2014|accessdate=November 9, 2014}} In 2017, he released an EP, At the Speed of Life 3.{{cite web|first=Andrea|last=Swensson|url=http://blog.thecurrent.org/2017/05/toki-wright-embraces-a-new-identity-as-mamadu/|title=Toki Wright embraces a new identity as Mamadu|work=The Current|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|date=May 18, 2017|accessdate=May 18, 2017}}

Toki Wright stated that "A Different Mirror", the title track from his 2009 album, was inspired by Ronald Takaki's A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, saying: "Unless we look into a different mirror we will only see our own reflection. American history for example might be all apple pies and American flags for many, but the history of people of color in America is filled with poverty [and] hatred".{{cite web |last=Horgen |first=Tom |date=November 18, 2010 |title=Music video: Toki Wright's "A Different Mirror" |url=http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/blogs/108984794.html |accessdate=February 9, 2014 |work=Star Tribune}}

Toki Wright also launched and led the hip hop studies program at McNally Smith College of Music, which closed in 2017.{{cite web|first=Jenna|last=Ross|url=http://www.startribune.com/hip-hop-artist-educator-toki-wright-says-goodbye-to-minneapolis-it-s-pushing-me-to-make-decisions/486298221/|title=Hip-hop artist, educator Toki Wright says goodbye to Minneapolis: 'It's pushing me to make decisions'|work=Star Tribune|date=June 24, 2018|accessdate=August 15, 2019}} In 2018, he became Assistant Chair of Professional Music at Berklee College of Music.{{cite web|first=Andrea|last=Swensson|url=https://blog.thecurrent.org/2018/06/toki-wright-talks-about-relocating-to-boston-to-work-at-berklee-college-of-music/|title=Toki Wright talks about relocating to Boston to work at Berklee College of Music|work=The Current|publisher=Minnesota Public Radio|date=June 22, 2018|accessdate=August 15, 2019}}

• Metropolis (2003) {{small|(with Adonis D. Frazier, as The C.O.R.E.)}}
• A Different Mirror (2009)
• Pangaea (2014) {{small|(with Big Cats)}}

• Faders (2012)

• Black Male (2010)
• Speed of Life: Volume 1 (2011)
• Prelude to Pangaea (2014) {{small|(with Big Cats)}}
• At the Speed of Life 3 (2017)

• "Focus" (2006)
• "Next Best Thing" (2009)
• "More Fiya" (2010)
• "25/8/366" (2010)
• "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (2010)
• "Real Live" (2011)
• "Trakhouse" (2011) {{small|(with Emazin, Talib Kweli, and I Self Devine)}}
• "Let Me Live" (2012)
• "Short Circuit" (2013) {{small|(with Kristoff Krane and Carnage the Executioner)}}
• "For Amiri Baraka" (2014) {{small|(with Big Cats)}}
• "Climate Change" (2017)
• "Frequency" (2018) {{small|(with Big Cats)}}

• P.O.S - "Ants" from Ipecac Neat (2004)
• Sims - "Market Made Murder" from Lights Out Paris (2005)
• Atmosphere - "Crewed Up" from Strictly Leakage (2007)
• BK-One - "Face It" from Rádio do Canibal (2009)
• St. Paul Slim - "Something Better" from Bald Headed Samsun (2010)
• Mike Swoop - "Let It Go" from New Love (2010)
• Greenhouse - "Only You" from Electric Purgatory Part 2 (2010)
• Bob Marley - "Sun Is Shining (Booka B Remix)" (2011)
• Destro - "Yah, Yah, Yah" from Ill.ustrated (2011)
• Abstract Rude + Musab - "Plan C" from The Awful Truth (2012)
• B. Dolan - "Film the Police" from House of Bees Vol. 2 (2012)
• Guante and Big Cats - "Until There's Nothing Left" from You Better Weaponize (2012)
• Mixed Blood Majority - "Story to Tell" from Mixed Blood Majority (2013)
• Phases Cachées - "L'American" from Boule à Facettes (2013)
• Culture Cry Wolf - "Ransom" from The Sapient Sessions (2013)
• IBE & Benzilla - "Wake Up!" from This, That and the Third (2013)
• Atmosphere - "Color in the Snow" (2013)
• Shinobi Gaines - "Livin Right" from Night Crawler Reloaded (2013)
• The Regiment - "The Solution" from Live from the Coney Island (2013)
• Ceewhy - "Goodspeed" from Freedom = Genius (2014)
• Sti-Lo Reel - "Blues Brothers" from MLK (Mortify, Live & Kill) (2014)
• Mike the Martyr - "Build Clinton" from Marbury (2015)
• Sleep Sinatra - "Nezhno" from Vibranium (2016)
• G Yamazawa - "Talk That Talk" from Shouts to Durham (2017)
• Adam Meckler Orchestra - "Our Death Under Your Pillow" from Magnificent Madness (2019)

• "Devil's Advocate" (2009)
• "A Different Mirror" (2010)
• "The Freshest Kids" (2010) {{small|(with Brother Ali and Evidence)}}
• "More Fiya" (2010)
• "By the Time I Get to Arizona" (2010)
• "The Soul (Go There)" (2011)
• "Real Live" (2012) {{small|(with Yakub)}}
• "This One (Free Verse)" (2012)
• "Film the Police" (2012) {{small|(with Sage Francis, B. Dolan, and Jasiri X)}}
• "Ode to Maximillian Cohen (π)" (2012)
• "No Gimmicks" (2013)
• "Livin Right" (2013) {{small|(with Shinobi Gaines)}}
• "Short Circuit" (2013) {{small|(with Kristoff Krane and Carnage the Executioner)}}
• "High Definition" (2013)
• "The Solution" (2014) {{small|(with The Regiment)}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs artist|Toki Wright|Toki Wright}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Toki}}

Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:University of Minnesota alumni

Category:Rhymesayers Entertainment artists

Category:Rappers from Minneapolis

Category:21st-century American rappers

Category:Camden High School (Minnesota) alumni