Biography

M.K. Asante is an American author, filmmaker, recording artist, professor. He is known for his memoir Buck.

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and raised in Philadelphia, he is the son of scholar Molefi Kete Asante and choreographer Kariamu Welsh. Growing up he struggled with the incarceration of his brother and the city's urban decay. After being expelled from multiple schools, he discovered his talent for writing at 16 and decided to pursue it as a career.

Asante is the author of four books, most notably Buck, a memoir about his troubled yet profound youth in Philadelphia. Buck was selected as a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick and made the Washington Post bestseller list in 2014 and 2015.

Asante is a Sundance Institute Feature Film Fellow for the movie adaptation of his memoir Buck. Asante wrote and produced the documentary 500 Years Later (2005), a documentary about slavery which received the Breaking the Chains Award from the United Nations' UNESCO. Asante directed and produced The Black Candle (2008), a documentary about Kwanzaa, co-written and narrated by Maya Angelou.

Asante has written essays on art, Hip Hop, technology, and culture for USA Today, Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and the New York Times.

Asante's debut music project, the Buck: Original Book Soundtrack, was released on May 14, 2015. The Soundtrack features hip-hop music by Asante and is inspired by his memoir Buck. Asante is featured on the song "Bangers", along with Haley Bennett, from the critically acclaimed album Indie 500. Pitchfork called "Bangers" a "can't miss moment" on the album and wrote, "MK Asante captures the vibe nicely." Asante is the founder of Wonderful Sound Studios.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tango Papa