Malik Aziz

To understand both the craft and ambition of Malik Aziz, you have to start in his hometown. Or in Malik's case, 'hometowns...' "I was born in Kansas City, but we moved around a lot when I was in grade school. I was the only black kid in school when I lived in Salina (Kansas) and Springfield (Missouri). But I've also lived in Louisiana, where we had only one white kid in the class. I'm comfortable around all types of folks, but in retrospect, I think I also have the constant outsider, 'new kid in school' mentality." Always a creative kid, Malik would find creative inspiration from Spike Lee's film, Do the Right Thing. "I always liked movies, but Spike was the one who showed all of us, film could be a career." With a newfound sense of purpose, Malik would focus all his energies on the crafts that make up visual storytelling. While still in high school, Malik earned his initial kudos as an actor, playing both Malcolm X and Martin Luther King in a one man interpretation of The Meeting. Malik would combine his two passions when he went to college, earning a double major in Film Studies and Afro-American Studies from the University of Kansas. Eager to learn more about the business end of the industry, Malik would continue his education at the University of Southern California, earning his Master's degree from the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program. At 24 years old, Malik had all the education he would need, and his craft was still in its infant stages. "But my life experience was so far behind my ambition, it really wasn't funny." Like many artists before him, Malik would return to his hometown to rediscover his voice and his passion. "Los Angeles gives me a sense of style definitely, but my values and my voice are pure Midwest." To that end, the projects Malik has created the past five years (King of Kansas City, Nakupenda, and now MyStoryUs) all reflect the maturity, confidence, and craft of an artist who's only beginning to fulfill his potential. Malik currently resides in Los Angeles, California.