Weldon Jonathan Irvine, Jr. (October 27, 1943–April 9, 2002), also known as Weldon Irvine or Master Wel, was an African American composer, playwright, poet, and pianist. In 2004 Madlib produced a tribute to Weldon Irvine "A tribute to Brother Irvine" Career Irvine was involved with various musical genres including Jazz, Hip Hop, Funk, Rhythm and Blues, and Gospel Music. He served as the bandleader for jazz singer Nina Simone and was a mentor to many New York hip-hop artists, including Q-Tip and Mos Def. He wrote over 500 songs, including the lyrics for "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black" (performed live by Nina Simone for the first time on Black Gold, 1970). It became the official Civil Rights anthem. Irvine's last major project was the 1999 release The

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