Islamic Themes in US Hip-Hop Culture

Explores how Islam is produced in American hip-hop culture by both Muslims and non-Muslims

• Analyses a collection of lyrics, sounds and images to show how Islamic themes are featured in US hip-hop culture
• Demonstrates that Muslims as well as non-Muslims have used Islamic themes in their artistic productions throughout the history of African-American music making
• Furthers an understanding of the semiotic associations and the functions of these Islamic themes

Islam has been a part of hip-hop culture since it sprang from New York’s street culture in the 1970s. Today hip-hop has evolved into a truly global artform with a diversity of Muslim Islamic discourses expressed. Using tools from the field of social semiotics, this book examines how Islamic themes feature in US hip-hop culture, maintaining a particular awareness that both Muslims as well as non-Muslims participate in their production. The book also argues that there is a historical continuity in the use of Islamic semiotic resources in US musical culture that runs through the entirety of the 20th century and can be observed in gospel, blues and jazz. It is also often connected to African American religious initiatives and African American empowerment politics.