This documentary film paints a complex representation of life for someone of Mutah's upbringing. From losing his parents to a senseless murder for hire, being raised by his grandmother, and venturing out into the music business at a very young and crucial age. Manifesting all the emotions he has with no channel to express except in his notebook, where he scribbles down a few lines of poetry. In time, these scribbles evolve into mature rap lyrics, and music becomes the vehicle through which Mutah begins to question the rules of his world, and the role he desires to play in it. Years after converted to Islam, American Rapper Mutah "Napoleon" Beale a Former member of Tupac "2Pac" Shakur's Outlawz explains why he decided to take this amazing step that changed his life around.
In this documentary, he explains that Islam has brought a lot of meaning to his life. He went on to say that he was not built for stardom, clarifying that the life of a rap star made him miserable. Stated that he tried very hard to have fun partying in the music industry, but, he was not built for that. He believed in the dream of becoming a star, but it was just an illusion. The turning point of his life was when he started losing loved ones starting when Pac died followed by his GrandMother, then group member Khadafi, and his brother Selek. It was a chance encounter with a muslim brother, after a fight with his little brother that set everything in motion for him. Mutah was invited to visit a masjid ( mosque), and later took on interest in reading the The Holy Quran. Under the careful direction of Jonathan Abdilla Napoleon: Life of an Outlaw delivers an incredibly nuanced, authentic, and moving portrayal of struggle of Mutah and his upbringing.
What makes Napoleon: Life of an Outlaw an exceptional story is that it transcends the very thing it is trying to depict. Yes, it shows us the harsh realities of Mutah "Napoleon" Beale's life story; yes, it boldly depicts the seemingly insurmountable life of Mutah "Napoleon" Beale. However, at the heart of the documentary is a universal story about struggles, carried with both levity and gravitas by a young man who chooses to chase his dream in spite of all odds. As a fan of 2pac and The Outlawz, I will definitely recommend this documentary to other fans. This documentary gives you a different perspective and first hand looking into Mutah "Napoleon" Beale's life story.
