Bomani Darel Armah, aka D’mite, aka The Hip-Hop Levar Burton, aka Mr. Read a Book, aka
The Watermelon Man, aka Darius Lovehall, aka The Black Colin Powell, has even more artistic
skills than aliases. As a poet he takes his cues from his favorite writers like Langston Hughes,
Yusef Komonyakaa and E. Ethelbert Miller. As a lyricist and songwriter he strives to live up
to the legacy of his favorites like Bob Marley, George Clinton, Fela and Frankie Beverly and
Maze. Raised in DC and Maryland on the music of gospel greats like Richard Smallwood and
John P Kee, as well as local go-go legends like Chuck Brown, Rare Essence and Backyard,
Bomani learned about musics intrinsic spiritual power to move people. While discovering
his voice he developed his tagline “I’m not a rapper, I’m a poet with a hip-hop style”. An apt
description for an emcee who took pride in being able to move any crowd, from prisons to
pulpits to concert halls, with a full band or simply a cappella.
Bomani released a self produced maxi-single entitled The Hustle/Shake it Off. The music video
for The Hustle debuted to wide acclaim at the San Francisco film festival and has been viewed
over 12,000 times on Youtube. That was just the beginning, as he used his biting sarcasm
and bits classical piano training to develop one of the most hilarious and impacting critiques
of modern culture, Read a Book. This song, that began as a free give away on his Myspace
page, exploded across the internet, leading to an animated video deal with BET and a storm
of simultaneous praise and hate. While being lauded by the over 4 million people who have
viewed in on Youtube and the shocked and awed crowd at 106th & Park, he was attacked
mercilessly by CNN, Jesse Jackson and Michael Baisden and others who seemed to be out
of touch with the youth Bomani dealt with daily. Undeterred, Bomani released his next single/
video Grown Ass Man (viewed over 63,000 times) as well as his “self bootlegged” debut album
Radio Friendly.Always looking to improve as an artist as well as reach new ears with his
music, he has released two free mixtapes, the New Classic Mixtape featuring DJ RBI in 2010,
and Bomani Armah is Darius Lovehall in Love Jones the Date Mixtape in 2011. In 2012 he is
striving for new uncharted territory as he releases his first chapbook of poetry and essays with
an accompanying album entitled Circumlocution Vol II. Part diary, part inquisitive finger poking
into the eye of society, Circumlocution is the latest incarnation of the combination of his multiple
talents as he weaves poetry, emceeing and music. Nothing personifies that more than his
new band #Immaletchufinish which showcases Bomani as lead vocalist and drummer with the
ground stirring soul, funk, rock and hip-hop riding the rhythm of West African jambe drums.
#Immaletchufinish Is the brain child of poet, educator and hip-hop insurgent Bomani Armah.
Best know for his 2007-08 underground classic “Read a Book”, Bomani is nationally known for
making socially relevant, controversial, yet head nodding music. Their sound flourishes from the
crate digging styles of DJ D’Salaam (the bands bass player, engineer and DJ), wading in every
style of black music from the last century. The sound is anchored, however, by the undeniable
African rhythms laid down by Mahiri Keita-Edwards and Bomani Armah on jembe and drums
respectively. James McKinney, Grammy award nominated keyboardist and songwriter, and
guitar player Mark “The Professor” Hatche hold down the time bending harmonies while
keeping the crazy licks coming. Led by Bomani’s wit and spiced with some of Washington DC’s
indigenous music, Go-Go, #Immaletchufinish guarantees to make heads nod and waists twist,
even before you hear a lyric or get lost in the vocal harmony. Influences range from across the
spectrum, but they see themselves as the torch bearers of James Brown, Bob Marley, Fela Kuti,
Chuck Brown, Public Enemy and Outkast. The type of rhythmic wave rushing into an audience
that cannot be denied.
