Muslim Performing Artist Essam Muhammad Stars in Break-Out Role in 'Purple Don't Cry'

by Nura Ahmed

Essam Muhammad, a Seattle-based performing artist and songwriter, has been telling the stories of the South End ever since he was a little kid. Art has been his first love since he was 9 years old. "I was exposed to the hip-hop scene from a young age," Muhammad began.

Recently, Muhammad was able to bring those stories onto the big screen for the first time, acting in a starring role for the feature film, Purple Don't Cry. Directed by Mamoun Hassan and written by Boonaa Mohammed, the film will be premiering at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) on June 1.

Raised in Seattle's Holly Park neighborhood by way of Morocco, Muhammad's pen has long been his best friend. As a college student, the struggles of wanting to have a stable career weighed heavy on him, but ultimately he knew that art has been something that he was good at. It was the most consistent thing in his life.

"It was my safe space for me to be able to express myself fully," he expressed. "My art is all I got."

But his art never really took off until his song "West Is My Home" came out in 2016, propelling him to new heights. Shortly after graduating college, he booked his first international performance, and his career took off from there.

Yet his community has always been in the back of Muhammad's mind. Growing up in the South End meant that he wasn't just exposed to the beautiful art that comes out of it, but to all the violence and trauma as well. He writes often about losing friends to gun violence, growing up in an area that has little to no resources for him to succeed, and struggling to survive every day. He knows that who he is now wouldn't have been possible without those experiences.

"I am a product of my environment. I bring everyone in the South End with me everywhere I go," Muhummad said, recognizing that much of his community, including those who are the most vulnerable, have always been "at the forefront of the culture."

Such connections are what inspired him to play the role of Bilal Muhammad in Purple Don't Cry. The film is based on a true story about a young Muslim man who dreams of a life of luxury and is tired of working hard for little to no pay, and thus he turns to dealing drugs. He comes face-to-face with a leader of a neighborhood gang, who tries to steer him away from the street life, but eventually, Bilal realizes what living that type of life really means for him. As it is a story of brotherhood, faith, and redemption, the story and character hit home for Muhammad. Though the film was based in Toronto, Canada, "the issues that the film addresses expand over multiple cities," said Muhammad.

Being a first-time actor, Muhammad found that he would sometimes have a hard time playing the role because he strongly resonated with the story and he often found himself triggered by the subject material.

"There would be days where I would be so triggered that I wouldn't want anyone to talk to me," reflected Muhammad. Purple Don't Cry also takes a lot of inspiration from Islam. As a young Muslim man himself, Islam doesn't just play a part in Muhammad's art — it's what drives him to create and become the artist he is now.

"I want to be everything that mainstream media isn't," he said. "My faith grounds me in the work that I do. My faith is my purpose."

Muhammad says that mainstream media works to tell the stories that ultimately help fuel the machine that is capitalism. Although the media often shows the gruesome realities of what it's like to grow up in communities such as Muhammad's, he's aware of how much of the media has villainized people like him.

"I know so many dope artists from my own community, who aren't able to get their work out there, because they are too busy surviving," Muhammad said. "The same people the mainstream media criminalizes are the same people who inspire me."

Muhammad creates because the stories of his community deserve to be told. Ultimately, he hopes that by flipping the narrative and showing the beauty of South Seattle, profound change will emerge.

Follow Essam Muhammad and his work on Instagram. "Purple Don't Cry" will be shown at the Seattle International Film Festival on Thursday, June 1. Muhammad also stars in another upcoming film, "Phoenix," which will be released soon.

Featured Image: Film still from "Purple Don't Cry," courtesy of Essam Muhammad.