M. K. Asante (born November 3, 1982) is an American author, filmmaker, songwriter, recording artist, and professor. He is the author of the 2013 best-selling memoir '' Buck: A Memoir'' and the 2024 memoir '' Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony''.

Early life and education

Asante was born in

Harare Harare ( ), formerly Salisbury, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of , a population of 1,849,600 as of the 2022 Zimbabwe census, 2022 census and an estimated 2,487,209 people in its metrop ...

, Zimbabwe, and raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He is the son of scholar

Molefi Kete Asante Molefi Kete Asante ( ; born Arthur Lee Smith Jr.; August 14, 1942) is an American philosopher who is a leading figure in the fields of African-American studies, African studies, and communication studies. He is currently a professor in the Dep ...

and choreographer Kariamu Welsh. Asante is a graduate of The Crefeld School in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. He studied film and literature at

SOAS University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

. He earned a BA in Africana Studies and English from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and a MFA in screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater Film and Television.

Career

Books

Asante is the author of five books, most notably '' Buck: A Memoir'', a 2013 memoir about his turbulent youth in

. ''Buck'' was selected as a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and was named to ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

''s bestseller list in 2014 and 2015. It was included on the In the Margins Book List in 2014. Poet

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...

, who mentored Asante, described ''Buck'' as "a story of surviving and thriving with passion, compassion, wit, and style." Nephew by MK Asante

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' announced that Asante's second memoir, '' Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'', would be published by

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

/ Amistad Press with an on-sale date of May 21, 2024. Reviewing ''Nephew'',

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

wrote: “This innovative memoir offers provocative commentary on how Black Americans have sung—and might yet sing—their paths to freedom. Passionate, moving, spirited reflections on art’s therapeutic potency.” ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...

'' gave ''Nephew'' a starred review, stating:

"This poignant memoir about overcoming devastating odds is a treasure and likely to become a classic. Essential reading for deepening understanding of society, the world, familial relationships, and the meaning of art and life."

Films

Asante is a Sundance Institute Feature Film Fellow for the movie adaptation of his memoir ''Buck''. He wrote and produced the 2005 documentary '' 500 Years Later'', a documentary about slavery which received the Breaking the Chains Award from

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. Asante directed and produced '' The Black Candle'' (2012), a documentary about Kwanzaa, co-written and narrated by

. He co-wrote the broadcast opening short films for the 2021

NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...

on ABC directed by Spike Lee.

Lectures and essays

Asante has delivered Distinguished Lectures at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...

, and Southern Methodist University. He has delivered commencement addresses at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

, Vassar College, Lafayette College, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

. He is featured in ''Changing America: 1968 and Beyond'', a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. He has written essays on art, hip hop, technology, and culture for ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'', ''

The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...

'', ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'', and ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

''.

Music

Asante is featured on the song "Bangers", along with Halo, from the album ''Indie 500'' by Talib Kweli and 9th Wonder. In their review of the album, ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' noted that "Asante captures the vibe nicely." Asante is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios. As a songwriter, he wrote the lyrics for the 2023-'24, 2024-'25, and 2025-'26 official '' Monday Night Football'' anthem, "In the Air Tonight", a cover of the song of the same name by

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...

, performed by

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

, Chris Stapleton, and Cindy Blackman Santana.

Academia

At age 23, Asante joined the faculty of Morgan State University. He received tenure three years later, at age 26. He is currently an associate professor of creative writing and film in the Department of English and Language Arts. In 2017, he was appointed Distinguished Professor-in-Residence at the MICA (Institute of Strategic Marketing and Communication) in India. He is the recipient of the 2021 Morgan State University Distinguished Achievement Award. In 2025, he received an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts from Lafayette College.

TV shows

Asante is the host and co-executive producer of '' While Black with MK Asante'', a docuseries produced by Snapchat. The series takes the stories of America's black youth and gives them a platform in the smartphones of millions of America's teens. ''While Black with MK Asante'' has nearly 17 million viewers.

TV performances

On November 30, 2020, Asante performed and debuted "We the Eagles" on

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

's '' Monday Night Football'' for a live audience of 11.4 million viewers. On May 29, 2021, he performed and debuted "Skate or D.I.E." at the 2021 Dew Tour Skateboarding Olympic qualifier on NBC. On October 11, 2021, he co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in the introduction to ESPN's ''Monday Night Football'' Week 5 game featuring the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...

vs. the

Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...

. In the introduction, Asante is backed by the Morgan State University Marching Band; the introduction was viewed by 11.4 million viewers.

Awards and honors

*2002: Jean Corrie Poetry Prize – Academy of American Poets *2005: Best Documentary (''500 Years Later'') – Pan African Film Festival *2006: Best Int'l Documentary (''500 Years Later'') – Harlem Int'l Film Festival *2006: Best Documentary (''500 Years Later'') – Bridgetown Film Festival *2007: Breaking the Chains Award (''500 Years Later'') – United Nations'

*2008: Best Documentary (''The Black Candle'') – Africa World Documentary Film Festival *2009: Langston Hughes Award from the Langston Hughes Society *2009: The Key to the City of Dallas, Texas *2010: Board of director's Best Documentary (''Motherland'') – Pan African Film Festival *2011: Best Documentary (''Motherland'') – Zanzibar International Film Festival *2012: Best Director (''The Black Candle'') – Arkansas Black Film Festival *2012: Outstanding Young Writer – Middle Atlantic Writers Association *2013: Discover Great New Writers (''Buck: A Memoir'') – Barnes & Noble *2013: Best Book of 2013 (''Buck: A Memoir'') – Baltimore Magazine *2013: Inspirational Memoir finalist (''Buck: A Memoir'') – Books for a Better Life Award *2014: Washington Post Bestseller List – Paperback Nonfiction #6 (''Buck: A Memoir'') *2014: Alex Award finalist (''Buck: A Memoir'') –

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

*2014: TheGrio 100 List –

MSNBC MSNBC is an American cable news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. Launched on July 15, 1996, and headquartered at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, the channel primarily broadcasts r ...

The Grio *2014: Feature Film Program Fellow – Sundance Institute *2014: Outstanding Literary Work – Autobiography finalist (''Buck: A Memoir'') – NAACP Image Awards *2014: In the Margins Book Award (''Buck: A Memoir'') *2015: Washington Post Bestseller List – Paperback Nonfiction #3 (''Buck: A Memoir'') *2016: Chancellor's Medallion – Fayetteville State University *2017: Distinguished Professor-in-Residence – MICA (Institute of Strategic Marketing and Communication) *2018: Great Stories Club –

(''Buck: A Memoir'') *2019: Lifetime Achievement Award – Muslim-Christian Alliance of Philadelphia *2020: Best in Social Activism (Finalist) – Shorty Awards (''While Black with MK Asante'') *2020: Short Form Series (Nomination)

Critics' Choice Real TV Awards The Critics' Choice Real TV Awards are accolades for nonfiction, unscripted and reality television content presented by the Critics Choice Association The Critics Choice Association (CCA), formerly the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) ...

(''While Black with MK Asante'') *2021: Presidential Citation – MSU Distinguished Achievement Award – Morgan State University *2024: Sports EMMY for Outstanding Opening/Tease – "In the Air" Monday Night Football –

Sports Emmy Awards The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports E ...

National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), also known as the National Television Academy until 2007, is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of televisio ...

*2024: Earphones Award - '' AudioFile'' (''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'') *2024: Outstanding Audiobook Narration - ''

'' (''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'') *2025: In the Margins Book Award for Nonfiction (''Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'') - in the Margins Award *2025: Honorary Degree, Doctor of Arts – Lafayette College, 2025.

Books

*''Like Water Running Off My Back'' (Africa World Press, 2002) *'' Beautiful. And Ugly Too'' (Africa World Press, 2005) *'' It's Bigger Than Hip Hop'' (St. Martin's Press, 2008) *'' Buck: A Memoir'' (Spiegel & Grau / Penguin Random House, 2013) *'' Nephew: A Memoir in Four-Part Harmony'' (Amistad / HarperCollins, 2024)

Films

*'' 500 Years Later'' (2005) *'' The Black Candle'' (2008) *''Buck'' (in development)

TV shows

*'' While Black with MK Asante'' (2019–2021) ( Snapchat/

NBCUniversal NBCUniversal Media, LLC (abbreviated as NBCU and Trade name, doing business as NBCUniversal or Comcast NBCUniversal since 2013) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Show business, entertainment conglomerate (comp ...

) *''Free Tuition with MK Asante'' (2020–2021) ( Snapchat/

Future plc Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson (entrepreneur), Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History 1985–2012 The company was ...

) *''Paid in Full'' (2024)( Canadian Broadcasting Company/ British Broadcasting Company)

Music

Songwriter

* 2025-2026: "In the Air Tonight" –

, Chris Stapleton, Cindy Blackman Santana (produced by Dave Cobb) (written by

and MK Asante) * 2024-2025: "In the Air Tonight" –

, Chris Stapleton, Cindy Blackman Santana (produced by Dave Cobb) (written by

and MK Asante) * 2023-2024: "In the Air Tonight" –

, Chris Stapleton, Cindy Blackman Santana (produced by Dave Cobb) (written by

and MK Asante)

Albums

* 2015: '' Buck: Original Book Soundtrack'' by MK Asante

Singles

*2013: "The Color Grey" – Bishop Lamont ft. Mykisha Thomas and MK Asante (produced by Chris Noxx) *2014: "My Victory" – MK Asante ft.

(produced by

J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...

) *2014: "The Bulletin" – MK Asante ft. Uzi (produced by Faze Miyake) *2015: "Young Bucks" – MK Asante ft. Mez (produced by J-Mac and Commissioner Gordon) *2020: "We the Eagles" – MK Asante (produced by Mez) *2021: "Skate or D.I.E." – MK Asante (produced by The Brightness)

Features

* 2013: "Godz N The Hood" – Ras Kass ft. Bishop Lamont, MK Asante and Talib Kweli (produced by Chris Noxx) * 2015: "Rap Psalms" – MK Asante ft. Narcy (produced by Thanks Joey) * 2015: "Bangers" – MK Asante and Halo (produced by Nottz) * 2016: "Runnin" – Ace Clark ft. MK Asante (produced by Scarecrow Beats)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Asante, M. K., Jr. 1982 births Living people Writers 21st-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American writers 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American memoirists 21st-century American poets 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American screenwriters 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics African-American film directors African-American non-fiction writers African-American poets African-American screenwriters Alumni of SOAS University of London American documentary film directors American documentary film producers American male non-fiction writers American male poets American male screenwriters American social sciences writers American spoken word poets East Coast hip-hop musicians Lafayette College alumni Morgan State University faculty American postmodern writers Screenwriters from Maryland UCLA Film School alumni