American as Bean Pie (NR)

synopsis

Self-described as "an actual Black country singer from the 'hood in Chicago," Englewood-raised recording artist Liz Toussaint has wrestled with labels all her life. A Muslim born Muniefa Abdullah to Nation of Islam parents, she found herself ostracized after 9/11, prompting her to take her current name from her great-grandmother. After several years searching for a musical identity, she discovered a liberating authenticity in country music, but her convention-defying crossover initially encountered resistance from both sides of the line.