nice to read this in The New Yorker magazine.
share your thoughts around this expression of redefining cultural and well as social prejudgements through the same media that is stereotyped i.e., Rap music for African Americans & Islam as a faith that is anything but delibrately misunderstood by main stream America of any creed or type?
Not sure if I understand your question correctly but here is my take on it:
I think it’s great that Muslims are using Rap/Hip Hop as a way to get the word across about various issues facing musims today. Rap/Hip Hop is a popular form of music among our youth today and it is a known fact that many of them…muslim and non-muslims alike… are influenced by its lyrics.
The way I see it…a Muslim has to do what a Muslim has to do to get our youth off the streets and unite them under one roof. If Islamic rap, although highly controversial among many scholars, is the way to do it…so be it!
i personally do not think that rap medley is the appropriate channel to adress/redefine the cultural and or social prejedgements about islam..for the simple fact that rap is pretty much synonomous with violence and the 'eye for an eye' primitive and agressive concept(as can be seen 4mr their videos and lyrics)..and its generally seen to be popular mostly among the uneducated or those with very little or no education..now islam is already badnaam due to events like 9/11 ..its already suspect of being a primordial savagery-supporting religion..so instead of achieving what we as muslims want to..to clear previous misunderstandings of islam and show its enlightening qualities the world..the opposite might happen if people connect the concept of being fond of brutality among both rap music and the islamic faith.
Re: Rap Music and African American Muslims
i am neutral at the issue. i have heard some spoken word slam poetry by African Muslim females and i have to say that they are able to move with the depth of their poetic expression.
the thing is, it depend what kind of poetry is introduced and how is it effective.
i am neutral at the issue. i have heard some spoken word slam poetry by African Muslim females and i have to say that they are able to move with the depth of their poetic expression.
the thing is, it depend what kind of poetry is introduced and how is it effective.
same here! I heard some girls (and a few guys) who expressed poetry through spoken word as well....mashAllah they were amazing.