JC cpu photo

Jamarhl Crawford comes from a legacy four generations deep in Boston, Massachusetts. Born and raised in an artistic family in the section known as Roxbury, he was exposed at an early age to all forms of music and live talent. His grandmother “Wini” was a renowned tap dancer having performed with the likes of Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll, Jimmy Slyde, Redd Foxx and a young Gregory and Maurice Hines throughout her travels throughout the US and Canada.

Jamarhl was exposed to a rich history in the area and his was the first Black family on the street when his grandparents purchased their home on “H-Block” in 1944. Young Jamarhl attended the esteemed Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, which, in the 1970's, was the Black Boston version of Fame, learning dance, drama, singing, music, sewing, history and more. It was here that he first became inspired and started poetry and rhyming at the early age of ten. In the mid-late 80's he took the name “UNO The Prophet” and was heavily influenced by Public Enemy, Rakim, X-Clan and Poor Righteous Teachers, and later by The Last Poets, Bob Marley, Jacob Miller and Peter Tosh, among others.

Over the past two decades, Jamarhl has featured at hundreds of poetry & hip-hop shows and performed with and opened for The Last Poets, Poor Righteous Teachers, Public Enemy, Dead Prez, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka and more. He has toured with Les Nubians, performing at BB Kings, Smithsonian Museum, Atlanta Black Arts Festival and the 2000 Transmusicales Festival in Rennes, France. In 2002, Jamarhl opened the JAM'N 94.5 Summer Jam in Boston for a crowd of 20,000 people.

As an activist and organizer, Jamarhl has been honored as a “Model Citizen” and named a “White Ribbon Day Ambassador” against domestic violence. He is the recipient of several City Council Resolution from both Boston and Cambridge and has organized numerous town hall forums, film screenings and events. Jamarhl has been active on issues of mass incarceration, and police killings of civilians, he also lead the effort to introduce the issue of Police Decertification to the state of Massachusetts. Crawford created the first ever celebration of Black History at Boston City Hall and later, was also the first to raise the Red, Black and Green flag on City Hall Plaza. Recently, Crawford advocated that May 19th be made Malcolm X Day which Boston City Council adopted in perpetuity. Addressing hunger, Jamarhl also created “Feed the Hood” which distributed several hundred tons of food in a 3 year span.

Jamarhl is the Author and Publisher of two books:
(1996) Prophecy: Reflections on Life & Love From a Black Perspective
(2008) Prophecy: Exemption & Redemption

Speaking:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, Suffolk University, Regis College, Wellesley College, Hampshire College, Georgia State University

Radio/Print/Television:
NY Times, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Boston Metro, DigBoston, NPR, WGBH-TV, WGBH-Radio, WCVB, WHDH, WBZ-TV, WBZ-Radio, FOX Boston, Tom Finneran Show, Michelle McPhee Show, Michael Graham Show, WRFG (ATL), MTV Europe, BBC World, Arise TV (NY/London/Africa)
Jamarhl has been featured on the following projects:
(2000) Dr. Mutulu Shakur's “Dare 2 Struggle” Tupac Shakur tribute (CD)
(2001) Prof. Griff “And the Word Became Flesh” (CD)
(2002) Word; Hip-Hop documentary by: Tony Greer (DVD)
(2005) Les Nubians “Les Nubians Presents: Echos - Chapter One: Nubian Voyager” (CD/Book)
(2005) “Black Cultural Traffic: Crossroads in Global Performance and Popular Culture” by; Harry J. Elam, Jr. (Book)
(2017) “There Is No Such Thing As Boston: Gentrification and the Disappearance of a City” by: Brian Francis Culkin (Book). . . . . . . . . . .