Poetry and music have been combined by San Francisco-based Azeem (born: Ismail Azeem). The former leader of early-'90s rap/funk band Telefunken, Azeem went on to write songs and perform with Spearhead for two years. His debut solo EP, Garage Opera, released in 1999, was followed by the impressive full-length album, Craft Classic, produced by seven of the Bay Area's leading hip-hop producers. Describing his affinity for poetic lyricism, www.fabric8.com claimed that Azeem "breaks (language) down like a street-wise dictionary." He initially attracted attention as a poet in the mi...