Muslim Hip Hop and so called Islamic rap artists are an easy target by some poeople looking to make a name for themselves. These people who point the finger at Muslim Rap artists i n the community should try to organise a dawa event and try to book some Imams and So called sheikhs as many of them are worse in their demands than Musdlim Rap arttists. Many of them are going on with too much madness in comparisson to Muslim Rap artists. Sadly when some artists become redundant bitterness creeps in. May Allah save us all from this.
Now with the issue of charging many if not all of the artists I know in the the circuit have done events for free. Do we say that it is OK for Promoters to make all the money and the performers must not get paid. Islamic Hip Hop is not just Dawa it is Entertainment. Yes there is ego involved but as a brother who deals with lecturers most lecturers in the Muslim circuit are guilty of the same things (99%) as Muslim Hip Hop Nasheed artists. Speakers/Lecturers that you and I listen to (in all sects) charge much more than Nasheed artists and Muslim Hip Hop artists. Many brothers who charge, Some/mnay do use the money to help support their wives and families which has been sanctioned by Sheikhs we both know and respect. Some brothers/sisters who charge do use some of their money from events to good positive projects for DAWA… I AM NOT NAMING NAMES….
What has happened before now when reverts where coming to Islam they were dumb little beggers going to the Mosque and begging for Zakat and wives and partners. Because most management committee's mosques are currupt and certain management were marrying all the sisters and keeping the Zakat for themselves. This Muslim Hip Hop scene has helped to break that rubbish down. Hence they are building a new economy (record labels, promotion companies, management agencies, clothing lines etc) this can be only a positive thing as business is encouraged in Islam.
Teachers get paid for working with Muslim Youths, Imams/Sheikhs get paid to work with Muslim Youths,Youth workers and Social Workers get paid to work with Muslim youths why can’t Muslim Rappers get paid to work with Muslim Youths…… Remember people have marraiges, families and bills to pay……..
Muslim rappers have brought to the surface many campaigns that most so called organisations keep us dumb to. Like everything else the Muslim Hip Hop scene is very competitive. This is a good thing to raise the level of quality and standard of the scene. I do admit, may Allah forgive us all for some moves that do take place. But this is among Islamic lecturers, Islamic TV stations, Islamic orgasnisations.(Selafi’s, Sunni, Shia, Sufi Iquani everywhere) This is not just among Muslim Hip Hop PERFORMERS. (I'm saying that as someone who works with many organisations and groups)
Recently I had to help book some speakers for a project. Many speakers we look up to demand First Class /Business Class flight tickets and payments (thousands of Pounds) for Dawa - If they don't get this payment they have lawyers who will take you to court. These are speakers who's CD's and DVD's we have in our homes are guilty of this -How come the people who write articles against the Muslim Hip Hop scene you don't mention them. Some of these speakers you have in our collection have henchmen too. There's no Muslim hip hop group or artist that has a henchman at all. Please see the full picture brothers and sisters..... As a person who has worked with many Muslim Rappers none of them have henchmen or Lawyers ready to sue and if there is money owed they will accept installments or they waver it.
What about these deen intensive courses to learn the deen.(which are great initiatives) Some of these courses are the biggest rip offs going charging many people hundreds/thousands of pounds for courses that is for our spirirual benefit. Why haven't the critics written about this. What about crooked so called Sheikhs and speakers who take large sums in commission when they are fundraising for charities. (on TV/events) In their white robes and big beards Quoting the noblest of hadiths but there faces light up thinking about their commission. Yes a percentage is fine but some people are charging crazy commussion for fundraising.... Trust me.....
The truth is that Muslim Hip Hop is an easy target by people who don't know what is happening on a local, national and worldwide scale. Mainly because it's due to ignorance, it's an Islamic Urban expression of the deen that appeals to the young and marginalised.... Many Muslim Artists, photographers, painters, lecturers etc seem not to get pulled up and many of them are worse than my Muslim Rapper counterparts. I'll be straight it's mainly due to raicism too. The elders don't like to see Young Black Muslims expressing their deen and spirituality their way. So many elders are quick to disrespect the art and many 21st century House slaves will assist to revive themselves.
This Muslim Hip Hop scence has helped create a business/economy that helps brothers/sisters get paid for security getting paid to give out leaflets, making money from selling their chosen product at events they have supported new Islamic Urban wear clothing companies etc. This scene has helped people find lifelong marraige partners. In all honesty bro not all Muslim Hip Hop shows are freemixed. You have been to seperate seated events yourselves.
Why just condemn the Muslim Hip Hop ARTISTS ……At the same time we involved in the Muslim rap scene have alot to learn.
Bro!!! Please make dua for us and tell us face to face so we may strive insh’llah…
Ismael of M2M
salamun alaykum
ReplyDeleteFirstly, my apologies for my cynicalness of past. I have had my own medicine first hand and its not nice.
What i have noticed, is that some people condemn M2M simply because you are doing what they want to do. So they condemn you for what they was going to do, and would do.
As for the subcontinent grumps, no worries, everything is haraam in their books, including being white, black and whatever.
peace ... the blog is messing up my eyes ... when i close my eyes im seeing the shape of white text
BROTHER ISMAIL I ENJOYED READING YOUR POSTINGS. It is sad that brother Zakariyya King and his like have been using the debate on music to create fitna among the UK Muslim ummah and to engage in personal attacks against credible scholars. They have started throwing labels of Shi'a against Sunni scholars simply because the scholars in question have been wise to refuse to be brought into the fitna of the public debates. I personally am not in favour of musical instruments but I do respect other Muslims' right to their opinions because I know that there is a strong opinion for music (although I disagree with it). Keep up the good work and try not to fall into the trap of Shaytan and the Fitna that brothers like Zakariyya are trying to cause among us.
ReplyDeleteSISTER ILM NUR
I think that the problem some people have is that Shaykh Mumisa is Black. In this country if you are Black and an Islamic scholar people want and expect you to fit in either of the available labels (Salafi, Sufi, or Shi... Read more’a). If, like Mumisa, you do not declare whether you are Salafi, Sufi, or Shi’a, the ignorant folks in our communities, particularly the young and ignorant, will select a label for you. If he had been a Pakistani no one would care that he is invited to give talks by both Sunnis and Shi’as communities, in fact that would be seen as a good thing and evidence of his credibility in both the Sunni and Shi’a communities.
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