“Hip-hop allows its Muslim practitioners to transcend differences in Islamic orientations through its socially conscious agenda.”
—From Representing Islam
Is hip-hop, commonly associated with edgy lyrics, violence and disregard for authority, compatible with Islam? For the “Sept. 11 generation,” the globalized Muslim youth growing up during a time of backlash against their faith, the answer booms “yes,” writes Mohamed Nasir, a Singapore-based sociologist studying Muslim youth culture. Beyond describing how beats and instruments have crept into traditional nasheed music, this read shows how
have deployed the genre for both religious outreach and grievance-based activism. Nasir illuminates how various groups wield hip-hop as a tool for social change. Global in scope, the book showcases how hip-hop’s digital diffusion links young activists transnationally to decry colonial legacies and human rights abuses, and how listeners and artists alike negotiate conflicting identities and theological dissonance.