Squad: The Calling of the Common Hero | Page 57

Chronology Faisal Abdu’Allah 1988–89 Attends Harrow School of Art, Harrow, England Rapper KRS-One establishes the “Stop the Violence” movement to quell gun violence in Los Angeles. 1989–91 Attends Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London. Public Enemy releases Fear of the Black Planet. 1989 Attends Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston, and learns how to cut hair from friend and student Kriss Bell. Reverts to Islam, changes his name from Paul Duffus and becomes Faisal Abdu’Allah. Suffers severe neck injury as a result of an automobile accident involving the London Metropolitan Police. 1990 Experiments with hair cutting on his fellow students at Saint Martins. Ice Cube collaborates with Da Lench Mob and releases the hard-edged album AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted. 1991 Starts working in local barbershop, whilst doing his MA at the Royal College of Art, London. Main Source releases Breaking Atoms, a classical album. 1992 Artist’s Residency in Spain where he embarks on automatic drawings. Creates Fuck da Police in response to the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles. Late Zoë Linsley-Thomas of the 198 Gallery discovers his work alongside the painters Johannes Phokela and Chis Ofili. Dr. Dre releases the legendary The Chronic. 1993 Finishes his MA, Royal College of Art, London Solo show: Censored Nigger to Nubian 198 Gallery, London. Group shows: Presences curated by David Chandler received wide acclaim, criticism, and a vandalism attempt on I Wanna Kill Sam. Appears on television in: “Clippers” BBC 2. Dionne Warwick and various individuals encourage Americans to boycott rap for its misogynistic lyrics. A Tribe Called Quest releases single, Award Tour. 1994 Group show: Us and Dem, Storey Institute, Lancaster, Lancashire England, curated by Eddie Chambers, opened by Benjamin Zephaniah, exhibit was threatened with closure by the local police. Mark Sealy, Director of Autograph ABP, underwrites the Last Supper project. Nas releases illmatic and creates an indelible impression on the way in which Abdu’Allah looked at materiality and representation through youth. 53