Tariq Nasheed
Tariq "King Flex" Nasheed:
A Controversial Journey from Dating Guru to Social Grifter
Born July 1, 1969 (not 1974)
Tariq Nasheed is the Hidden Colors documentarian best known for online fundraising.
Prior to his venture into online begging, he was a self-styled "dating guru" for incels. To understand the man behind the sea of unending grifts, one must trace his journey through the lens of his prolific output, shifting ideologies, and questionable campaigns.
The Rapper
In the late 1990s, Nasheed created a rap persona and ventured into the world of hip hop. He penned songs like “Wash Yo Azz”, which secured his place as one of the corniest rappers of all time.
The Pimp Chronicles
Nasheed's entrance into the public sphere began with his debut book, The Art of Mackin’ (2000), a self-help manual for Negro incels. It was an unvarnished blend of street-smart advice and pimp confidence, resonating with an audience hungry for unconventional dating guidance. The book became popular among the Dusties of the Black community, positioning Nasheed as a voice in the burgeoning "dating game" industry, long before Andrew Tate and his suction suits.It was in this series of books that Nasheed outlined how young “hoes” are groomed by pimps. Excerpt below:
Building on this success, Nasheed authored a series of similar works, including Play or Be Played (2004), a guide for women navigating the incel game, and The Mack Within (2005), which doubled down on his unapologetically self-serving strategies.
In line with his pimp persona, Nasheed played the role of a pimp in a Michael Moore documentary.
Nasheed’s work in this space earned him fame from the can-I-rent-a-one-bedroom segment of Black men and desperate female hangers-on, but also criticism. Detractors labeled his advice as manipulative, promoting shallow and transactional views of relationships. Still, his "Mack Lessons" podcasts and media appearances cemented his role as a provocateur in the realm of dating and relationships.
It was also during this time that Nasheed–during his live call-in show—declared that domestic abuse is warranted in some instances.
By 2010, his literary portfolio also included The Elite Way and the infamous The Art of Gold Digging, a controversial how-to guide for women looking to con Black men out of their hard earned money.
As part of The Elite Way, he also sold snow boots, a rollout that was mocked by followers and quickly discontinued. In addition to “Elite” boots, Tariq has sold Ogun (Nigerian God) pepper spray, deodorant, socks, Moors App, SWS app, FBA flags, American Freedmen apparel, FBA expo, DVDs, and a “Crispy Biscuits” app, which ridiculed fellow provocateur Tommy Sotomayor for having dark skin.
Nasheed had interview in order to give him a “coon” award, while also calling Sotomayor “crispy” in front of Vlad, who is white. The YouTube video wasn’t released until years later, but the commenters quickly reached a consensus that Nasheed was on some “clown & sucker sh*t”.
Pan-Africanism and the Pivot to Fake Advocacy
In the early 2010s, Nasheed made a dramatic pivot. Abandoning his dating guru mask, he embraced Pan-Africanism, presenting himself as a champion of Black history and empowerment.
This transition coincided with the release of Hidden Colors (2011), the first in a series of D-list documentaries exploring the contributions and suppressed histories of African and indigenous peoples. The film, funded largely through online begging, struck a chord with audiences and launched a franchise.
The Hidden Colors series became a sub-cultural phenomenon within African-American circles, spawning sequels that expanded on themes of systemic racism, colonialism, and historical, and solidarity with Black Americans and Africans.
Capitalizing on his "Cash is King" model, Nasheed released 1804: The Hidden History of Haiti, which celebrates the Haitian Revolution as a defining moment of global Black resistance. However, critics rightly Nasheed of oversimplifying complex histories and relying on dubious sources to craft a narrative that served his growing brand as an activist.
In 2016, Yvette Carnell and Antonio Moore founded the ADOS movement, which Nasheed began to champion in 2018. However, after trying to strong-arm the movement away from the two founders, Nasheed decided to copy the movement and call it Foundational Black Americans, a term coined by Dr. Claud Anderson. Nasheed then began selling merchandise, remixing Yvette Carnell & Antonio Moore’s shows and presenting them as his own, all the while calling Black immigrants tethers.
He also collected over a $100,000 for the FBA conference and charged an entrance fee for an event that only lasted four hours. On her YouTube show, Yvette Carnell called the event an “FBA mixer”. On her Twitter, she also accused Nasheed of pushing various “marketing funnels” rather than reparations. Nasheed responded to Carnell with homophobic slurs, nicknaming her “Strappy”.
The Tragicomic Rise of Tariq “B-Smooth” Nasheed
Tariq Nasheed wasn’t just a man with a pipe dream; he was a man convinced the universe had him on speed dial. Armed with a second-hand karaoke machine and a fake fur coat, he burdened red pill Twitter and its cohort of pick-me’s with his crackling singing voice with the release of Mink Slide, which went wood on Amazon.
Despite the glaring evidence that he was sonically cursed, Nasheed plunged ahead with a music video to match his Dollar Store rendition of Montel Jordan. Each track was a masterpiece of misplaced confidence and auto tuned ballads. Nasheed’s pièce de résistance was a song called “Phone Down,” which featured him on the beach carrying a miniature bat–with a cadre of goofies pacing behind him.
Fed Allegations:
For years rumors have swirled involving why Tariq Nasheed changed his name. Some of those rumors allege that Nasheed dropped his real name because he is a federal informant. A YouTube documentary explores that allegation. Begin at the 30 minute mark:
Hip Hop Documentarian
Nasheed continued on his path as a documentarian Microphone Check where he contradicted himself on who founded hip hop. Nasheed had originally given 100% of the credit to Herc, but in order to stay in step with the ADOS movement, he did a 180 and started fighting Fat Joe about who created hip hop.
Although Nasheed does a lot of online documentaries, he mostly remains hidden in the white suburbs. During "Pull-Up Summer", another idea which Nasheed lifted from a different group,
Midlife Crisis?
Nasheed's many young, up-do hairstyles also have people wondering whether his many ventures are the result of an ongoing midlife crisis. He has made news in the blogosphere by getting a Killmonger weave, using too much bigen, and drawing on his missing hairline with a marker of some variety.
Fundraisers and Financial Questions
With his newfound influence, Nasheed initiated several fundraising efforts to support causes he deemed essential. Notable campaigns include:
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2016 Fundraiser for Judge Olu Stevens: After Judge Stevens faced backlash for addressing racial bias in the courtroom, Nasheed organized a fundraiser in his honor. The campaign raised awareness but attracted scrutiny regarding how the funds were distributed.
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Helping Hands for Haiti (2017): Tied to his documentary on the Haitian Revolution, this fundraiser claimed to support disaster relief efforts in Haiti. Despite its noble goals, the campaign raised questions about transparency and the impact of the funds raised. Critics noted a lack of follow-up reporting on how donations were utilized.
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Museum of Foundational Black Americans (2022): Nasheed launched a crowdfunding campaign for a museum dedicated to African-American history and culture. While promoted as a museum to garner significant support, the museum became a self serving night club that enriched only Nasheed.
There are too many begging campaigns to list, so check the partial list below....
PARTIAL list of Tariq's begging campaigns:
A Polarizing Figure
Nasheed is widely viewed as an opportunist, exploiting social issues to build his brand. His rhetoric—often laced with inflammatory language—has drawn accusations of divisiveness, particularly within the Pan-African and reparations advocacy spaces.
Beyond his content, Nasheed’s personal views and online behavior have fueled controversy. His frequent clashes with detractors on social media has earned him both praise for his unapologetic stance and criticism for engaging in petty disputes.
Nasheed also has the simp habit of bringing litigation against elderly and porky YouTubers who criticize him.
The Nasheed Legacy
Tariq Nasheed’s journey from dating coach to cultural commentator is emblematic of his ability to adapt and reinvent himself. Nasheed is a savvy self-promoter who has never created anything but is always around to co-opt ideas that are important to the Black community.
His overriding legacy may be destroying Black political movements as a road to self-enrichment.
Mr. Tariq "Pro FBA" Nasheed currently lives in a white gated community with his wife, Peanut, who is not Black American.
A man who said it isn't safe to date Black women obviously can't be trusted and isn't pro Black.
