Award-winning author Jamil T. Huie is a passionate storyteller whose work explores the depths of love, faith, and the resilience of the human spirit. Drawing inspiration from cultural icons from Biggie Smalls and Shakespeare, Jamil crafts emotionally honest narratives that invite readers to reflect and connect on a profound level.
His acclaimed novel, God, Sex and Slavery, follows a couple’s enduring love amid the horrors of slavery, offering a spiritual journey through chaos and hope. In addition to his moving poetry collection, Spoken from the Broken, which gives voice to unhealed hearts and life’s traumas, Jamil continues to inspire with his latest book, The Concept of Love: The Science in Love. Blending science, spirituality, and storytelling, this compelling new publication unravels the many dimensions of love, making it essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the power and complexity of this universal force. We caught up with Jamil to discuss his new book and creative journey.
Jamil, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Growing up in Queens, New York, what were the earliest experiences or relationships that shaped your understanding of love, pain, and resilience?
Where do I begin? Queens, New York, my home. My early memories of Queens are torture-filled but as the years went by, the pain and sadness went along with it. Me and my sisters did not have the childhood experience you see on tv in the movies. We had to grow up fast, and not in the sense of, hey, let’s get this money so we can have a warm meal tonight. It was more hey, let’s survive this night so we can live to see another day. And eat this slice of bread in a corner somewhere in a hurry before someone caught us. And in the sense of my sisters, sometimes a good meal was out of a garbage can in the house we were being tortured. Queens taught me, that closed mouths don’t get fed. And tears only got you fucked up more. Predators find enjoyment in fear. I understood love from a protective mindset. The way my sisters put their lives on the line for me, taught me all I needed to know about love at an early age.
Your first heartbreak is a powerful thread in your book’s narrative. How did that formative relationship—and its loss—set the stage for how you approached love and vulnerability in later years?
My first heartbreak fucked the stage up to be honest. I hope I am not cursing too much. But I need to get this point across as it was, in an honest way. It left me dead inside. The experience of love at such an early age, especially with my history, was needed, but it also left a bad taste in my mouth for years to come. Eventually, I allowed myself to love again but my approach was more mentally led than heart-led with my future relationships. I use my brain more, no matter how much my heart screamed to love fully. If that makes sense.
Music became a sanctuary for you after heartbreak. Can you share how your creative process as ‘Knalo’ or ‘Knaledge’ helped you process grief and rediscover your sense of self?
Music…my first love, after my first love, lol. All jokes aside, I love music with an endless passion. I think about music with an obsession. Since I started writing music, there has not been a day in my life that I do not think about the craft of music. Music has been my parent, my sister, my brother, and my therapist, lol. Music has been everything to me. Once the music starts, my world begins. My imagination takes hold, and I literally travel the cosmos. I learned at a young age how important imagination is. It takes you away, bro. No matter your circumstances or what you are experiencing in the moment, your imagination is a cheat code to heaven. To answer your question, Knalo is the smoother artist, more about flow and message. You know, keep the vibes going type of person. And Knaledge, is more aggressive, gives you the message as it is. Tells his truth, no sugar added. Both personalities were and are needed.
The camaraderie and intensity of your music collective, X-fam, played a huge role in your youth. What did those collaborative years teach you about brotherhood, ambition, and the sacrifices required for creative success
There is a lot to unwrap with this question. But X- Fam, wow, what a time. I gained a lot of family around this time. This experience gave me the understanding; blood is not necessarily needed to be family. There was nothing we wouldn’t do for each other. What was understood was understood, end of story. It taught me the creative process of working together to build a better product, sometimes going first, last or in the middle of a song can enhance it in ways that your ego cannot see. Sacrifice is needed for the quality of a thing to develop. In a sense, it is magic in a bottle. And if you are not willing to let go of ego for a higher quality, then your ego will leave you stagnate. We were all hungry at the time, and no better motivator than a room full of hungry MCs. If you were shit, on the mic, trust you will know. And if you are that ignorant to not know, someone will tell you. I learned that the hard way. And for you to stay on a track, you better come for everyone’s neck. If not, you’re just going to be listening to everyone else rap. But to be real, everyone had their time to shine. One day it’s me, one day it’s someone else. But the competition as well as the teamwork, made us all better and brilliant with our craft.
You chose to join the U.S. Marine Corps at a pivotal moment. How did the discipline, adversity, and structure of military life challenge or reinforce your beliefs about love and personal worth?
One of the greatest decisions I have made in my life was to join the Marine Corps as a young man. I had no career and no direction at the time. It stripped me down to nothing, only to build me back up as someone I never knew I could be. It made me believe in who I am. And that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Before the military, I lacked confidence and discipline in the things I did. The military was a gift for me at the time, and as I look back, it was needed. It also reinforced what brotherhood is about. I had already acquired brotherhood back home; this only enhanced it and taught me the importance of it. You can do it alone, but to have someone or some friends/family by your side is priceless. Not sure if you ever heard the saying, A good friend is better than pocket money. And it holds true to this day.
During your time as a Marine, were there moments that fundamentally changed your perspective on emotional strength, connection, or forgiveness—either for yourself or others?
During the military…, this is a tough, emotional double-answer question. But I had a lot of heartache around this time. I missed my lady so much, it hurt. She was my beacon of hope. And the inspiration needed to get through the training. The task of becoming this superman for her was very important to me. But in hindsight, I was becoming a superman for myself to be who I am today. I got a life lesson about myself around this time, which I love deeply. Nothing is wrong with loving the way I do; it just needed to be redirected into myself first. And then towards someone/something that is deserving of it and gives it back in return.
After returning from military service, you faced the dual challenges of lost love and lost momentum in music. How did you cope with these setbacks, and what role did writing and reflection play in your recovery?
At this point in my life, I was empty inside. I felt soulless, as if there were no reasoning in my being. Just outright empty. My days were cold, my nights were a nightmare. Fifty people in a room, and I still felt alone. No blunt or 40 once could take the pain away. The one I adore was gone, music was gone, and I had nothing to love. This moment taught me the pain of loss. Writing came with the cost of remembering, and remembering was death in motion.
Can we discuss who the key figures were—family, friends, or colleagues? Who helped guide you through your lowest points and inspired your creative rebirth?
The ones that inspire me the most… My momma, I love you Mom. She always seems to know when her son is not feeling well, when he is sad and down. When no one else knows a thing, she is the one to boldly say, ‘What’s wrong, son?’ The world sees the smile, but my mom sees the grief, poetic if you ask me. Both my sisters, I literally owe them my life. Without my sisters, I may or may not be here. They taught me what sacrificing for another soul looks like. They taught me how to read, and my love for music was born because of my sister. Each sister had a different impact on my life, which gave me confidence as well as direction to navigate this world. My brother, staying by my side, and showing me what brotherhood is really about. Because of him, I became a better writer. And a whole lot of stories for another book, lol. My best friend. She came into my life at an ordained time. Some things in life only God can explain, and this is one of them. My kids, I want to show them that anything is possible. And I hope one day they see how special and gifted they truly are. And myself, I must give Jamil some credit here as well. Because of what he endured and still stood strong. No matter what has happened or is happening, his dreams still push him every single day.
Your albums ‘A Gift from the Music Gods-Knalo’ and ‘Born A King-Knaledge’ are deeply autobiographical. How did the process of making these records mirror your journey through heartbreak, healing, and self-discovery?
My music, now my first love, besides my kids. Writing music is something only God can explain in my eyes. Music is the language of the universe. The language of love, the language of hate, the language of life, as it is the language of death. Music has its hands in everything humanity calls life. The process of creating my albums was therapy in motion. It allowed me to release so much anger and misplaced energy in creating something beautiful and timeless. Poetic life in motion, we are all walking poetry or a song that has been or has not been written. Our footsteps are music, our breathing is music, our emotional settings are music. It is all music once you start listening. Knalo- A Gift from the music Gods. And Knalege-Born a King, the magic I felt and feel, I need a dictionary that has not been invented to explain. The feelings, the healing, the destruction, the growth, and the expression of it all, tied into my creations.
What lessons did you learn from the collapse of your music group and the challenges of balancing ambition with personal relationships? How did these lessons influence your later work as an author?
This is a good question. I am a solo artist now. But the way I look at things is a little bit different than before. I observe and listen to other artists with more of a focus on message and delivery. I respect an artist’s creative process more than ever before. Before I looked at things a little selfishly. I now know that your way is not always the best or only way of doing things. I also learn to put other people’s feelings into consideration when making my decisions on things. It may be a good business decision, but is it a good person decision? If that makes any sense. This also made me the writer I am today. As I look back, I was surrounded by some dope rappers. That made me want to be better, find my own angle and way. In a way, all of them influenced how I approach music one way or another. And I am thankful for that.
Your first two books, ‘God, Sex, and Slavery—The Slave Master’s Wife’ and ‘Spoken Broken,’ tackled intense and taboo subjects. How did those writing experiences prepare you emotionally and creatively for the vulnerability required in ‘The Concept of Love’?
My first two books were an absolute adventure for me, which is ongoing. I always wanted to write a book, and I was gifted the opportunity to write a book on a touchy subject. And write poetry on some of my most personal pains. The titles are a little ambitious but direct and beautiful. God, Sex and Slavery, my first published book. I love this book. Because it represents the essence of love. What it means to fight against all odds for something you believe in. Love found its way in the harshest of conditions and treatment possible. Imagine for a second, your soul finally screams yes to finding its true love, but the circumstance is not ideal. You are a slave; your love is a slave, and the things you both have to endure on a daily basis are torturous at best. Would you still go through it? What would be your breaking point? When would you say, no, I am not doing this? Put yourself in the shoes of Bishop or the shoes of Abigail. What choices would you have made, honestly? The truth of the matter was, they had all the excuses in the world to not go on. But they found one thing to believe in, and that is love. And the love they had for each, endured anything the universe threw at them. If this is not the true meaning of love, I don’t know what is. This allowed me to express myself freely when it came to writing the Concept of Love. I gave myself the ok to be honest and truthful.
What was the spark or pivotal moment that led you to write ‘The Concept of Love’? Was there a particular event or realization that convinced you this book needed to be written?
I wrote the Concept of Love to prove that love is not real. That this senseless, pointless journey we sometimes put ourselves on is in vain. I had a bad breakup around this time. My heart was shattered, and I felt betrayed. But once the journey of this book ended, I realized how real love is. I want a love that is worthy of being written about in books. That is why I wrote the Reasons of Love chapter. I may or may not ever meet that special someone, but she will know when she reads it that there is someone who hopes for her with true sincerity and faith in her existence.
In ‘The Concept of Love,’ you blend science, spirituality, numerology, and deeply personal narrative. What challenges did you face in weaving these diverse threads together, and how did you decide what to reveal about your own journey?
The blending of the many to create the one. Is this not what it is to be human. The many that is equivalent to one. Love has so much diversity in our beliefs of culture, religion, daily life, and science. Love is blended into all we do. The way we talk, the way we cook, the way we write, etc, etc. Love is blended into all we do. Entire nations have been destroyed and built in the name of love. Families have been separated and brought together in the name of love. Our spirituality is surrounded by love, our numbers equal love. And as I followed the breadcrumbs of life, an entire species of many is here because of love. I needed a personal touch on the subject matter after research was completed.
Looking back on your life’s cycles of love, loss, and renewal, what message do you hope readers take away from ‘The Concept of Love’—especially those who may be struggling with their own heartbreak or searching for meaning?
Have faith in something, I don’t know what that something is, but have faith and hold strong to that faith. Knowing will carry you further than any belief you can conjure up. And know with conviction. Love will always answer you; it may not be in the way you wish it to answer you, but it will answer, nonetheless.
Your new book is ambitious in both scope and depth, blending research from science, spirituality, and personal experience. What was your process for researching and structuring ‘The Concept of Love,’ and how did you determine the book’s length and the breadth of topics to include?
The Concept of Love determined its subjects, if that makes any sense at all. It started out with the definition of love, and each sequence opens another door of exploration. Each subject matter just flowed with the other and continued to flow. I had to stop myself from going any deeper; if not, I would have still been writing this book, to be perfectly honest. It has no end. It’s kind of how love determines itself. There is no choice at times on who we love and why we love them; it just is. One day, you see someone, the world stops moving, your thoughts go a million miles a second, your palms get sweaty, your heart rate increases, and your soul suddenly knows something it did not know previously. It just kind of happens. It started out with the definition of love, and it evolved into its own entity. And each research led me to the next. From the heart to the mind, to science, and then my own experience. I give you the concept of the Science of Love.
For further information on the artist, please visit the following links:
- Cyrus Webb Presents author Jamil T. Huie
- The Concept of Love: The Science in Love (Available on Amazon)
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