Major Rapper/Muslim?

[stpaulchick]

I was just wondering if it's okay to claim that ur Muslim and still sing about sex, money and fortune? I brought this up because as some of u know rapper freeway of R-O-C says he Muslim. But did ya'll hear his album. He's a good rapper he even drops some stuff about Islam. So I was just wondering if u can do that. Here is an article I found on Rolling Stone.

 

 

Freeway of Love

 

~~Torn between Islam and loads of cash, the Philly rapper chose both

 

By Jake Bronstein

 

In the high-stakes world of album sales, a gimmick can quickly turn an artist into a brand name. So anything one can do to separate himself from the pack is a good idea. Hammer had his low-slung diaper pants. Marilyn Manson has his contacts. And Ms. Dolly was outfitted with those monster hogans. Success proved inevitable.

Freeway's choice, at first, seems equally outlandish. But, in fact, the beard he wears is essential to the North Philadelphia rapper's religious beliefs.

 

And though this facial hair has become the twenty-four-year-old's trademark, Freeway, born Leslie Pridgen, swears it was never the plan. "People might say it's a fashion statement, call it a 'Freeway beard,' but it's not like that at all," he says, while running a comb through the downy tuft. "I was raised a Sunni Muslim. We let our beards grow to please God. It's just the way I was brought up."

 

A glance inside his hotel bathroom suggests otherwise. Sure, a simple array of hair-care products, including a purple squeeze tube of Frizz-Ease, isn't much to get worked up about, but seeing as Freeway is bald underneath his ski hat, one can only assume the entire lot of beauty aids is for the Honest Abe thatch. But contradiction is integral to this rapper's success.

 

Though a devout Muslim, Freeway writes about the streets where he once sold drugs and the guns he now carries to protect himself. "Islam has nothing to do with rap music," he says when asked about the incongruity. "You can't mix the two. But it's like if a Muslim worked in a supermarket that sells pork -- you're not supposed to sell pork, but you've got to be able to provide for your family. That's the struggle that I go through inside myself."

 

A young Freeway honed his rhymes in the lunchroom at Kensington High School in North Philadelphia. He began showcasing those skills at Club Dances, a grimy nightclub known for its underground MC battles and hip-hop scene. There he teamed up with another unknown, Beanie Sigel -- the night they met, the two made a pact: Whoever was signed first would pave the way for the other. When hip-hop artist-mogul Jay-Z brought Sigel to Roc-A-Fella Records, Sigel, true to his word, brought the young Freeway along. (Jay-Z was so impressed with the MC, he told listeners of Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show in New York that he'd match money with anyone willing to make a wager on Freeway's rapping skills should they be foolish enough to want to battle him. Of course, nobody was.)

 

An onslaught of guest appearances solidified his place among Sigel's State Property clique. Then Freeway became a hip-hop cliche. He was arrested for drug trafficking (possession with intent to deliver) and had two newborn babies to support. But during his six-month stint in the joint, Freeway rebounded. And with the support of Roc-A-Fella, he got his shit wired tight. And quickly. "This is my shot," he says. "I'm not ever going to go out like that again. 'Cause you never know what's around the corner. Sitting in a jail cell, I never dreamed Rolling Stone would be calling one day."

 

And in a show of gratitude, Freeway's crew looks out over the bouncing crowd at a club in Charleston, North Carolina, and asks Rolling Stone which of the large-rumped lovelies it would like to keep company with for the evening. Suddenly, the voice of Freeway onstage brings everyone to a respectful hush. His speaking voice, a soft rasp, comes out barely at whisper levels, giving the impression of a shy young man buying condoms. But when it's time to go to work, he transforms it into half-horse, half-dog-bark, shouting slogans such as "Holler at your boy" and "1-900 Hustler." "I never really thought nothing of my voice," he says, "not until I was trying to get signed, and people started saying I couldn't do it -- because my voice is ****ed up. But the same thing people be hating on, people be loving on, too." His debut record, Philadelphia Freeway, the latest victory to come from Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella stable, is all the proof Freeway needs. And after the show, rock-hard thugs grin from ear to ear, blushing as they ask for Freeway's autograph -- before scurrying off like little girls. Tonight, the haters are nowhere to be seen.

[SomeAlien]

you can be raised a musim and hold the ideolgies that religion entails (values and traditons) and not be religious. besides i dont think hes claiming it, he didnt convert and it doesnt sound like a gimmick (like q-tip, and other "conscious" rappers) he was accually raised muslim. even if he werent following certain teachings of the quran, bt still ackowledged that there was only one God, and his name is Allah, id consider him a muslim... just not a very good one.

[Changed]

are we talking about

talib kweli :confused:

[Jaabir]

Stpaulchick.. are you talking about that rapper who cant stop swinging his head?

 

i'v seen born muslims who act worse than him.. so i guess that wont surprise me...

[SomeAlien]

Originally posted by MIZZ-UNIQUE:

are we talking about

talib kweli :confused:

kweli isnt muslim but mos def is.

[Xafsa]

mos def is muslim?

[MD]

People are we talking about MUSLIM MUSLIM or Nation of islam ?? Cause i always thought mos def was those people who believe in nation of islam

[StarGazer]

I see it this way, we have muslim singers in every culture and its not a suprise to have black muslims rappers! Like Somalien said, atleast he's upfront about his faith.

 

I was wondering about Talib for awhile. I guess he isn't muslim but for sure mos is. Anybody feel that he's becoming a sell-out?

 

There's a new muslim group out: Kindred ..a husband/wife duo. Infact in their debut video watch out for a glimpse of a hijaabi

[BORN_BRANIAC]

mos dep is muslim. I watched the Essence award and he was one of the ppl who got the award and said "god bless all muslim all over the world" i was like what did he said, so i i'm not really suprised that he is muslim.... and also i read the article in source magazine about free way being muslim and still a rapper...i was suprised about hime being muslim.

[SomeAlien]

mos def is a born and raised muslim, his father was one of the first people to join malcolm x when he left the nation of islam. if any of you own his album youll see that he begins it with bismillahi rahmani raheem, and in the footnotes he thanks Allah and says, and i quote : " whoever hears this and hears good, know that its from Allah, whoever hears this and hears bad, know that its from me and my own short comings." i love this cat to an almost stalker-ish degree. i wanna see him live.

any somos in san fransisco, i hear theres a hot show with pharoh monch, madd skillz, mos and talib. its definitely worth seeing, im just hoping they come near where i live cause i think there the only mcees worth seeing now a days. www.mosdefinitely.com <---------- is a hot site

 

who said mos is a sellout? mayne... thats not cool at all... you cant see me right now but im shaking my fist in a threatening manner. *shakes fist* but why do you think that, exactly?

[rudy-Diiriye]

somealien! aka stalker!lol!

i just have one problem when moslem americans do that,i.e, bring religion and commerical together!

it can raises a red flag for me! hmm, and i keep saying, is he doing this for profit reasons? i prefer one to do their thing and leave deity out of the picture>>.

[boycott]

he begins it with bismillahi rahmani raheem

here is what he says in his website "Bism-Allah-ir-Rahman-il-Rahmeen"

[Xafsa]

Mos Def is muslim huh? The brotha got mad talent i'll give him that much. How come I aint never head of freeway?...I need to get with the times!

[Khayr]

Salaamz,

Any of you that agree with Freeway or any other 'muslims' that engage in harm acts that are openly seen by the public, are trying to justify there own likes in that person.

You can't be swinging a bottle of Liquor in a music video and drinking it (I don't care if you excuse is that there is Apple Juice in it, you are still imitating something that is HARM).

Rap music is a Bidah Siyah (Bad Innovation). It brings more harm to people than good.

You can say the same thing for somali singers too.

Don't mix and mingle with the opposite sex at the riwyada and say its ALL GOOD/WAR WAX MAAXA.

Get real! What part of singing about love songs and mixing and mingling with the opposite sex is in line with the SHARIAH.

PLEASE, GET REAL!!!

Mos Def (he acts as a half deaf character in the Italian Job) might be a muslim but participating in the world of HipHop is a definite HARAM.

Nothing good comes out of it.

HipHop reflects a culture-AMERICAN CULTURE. I don't care what colour you put on it, its still AMERICAN CULTURE. AMERICAN CULTURE is an anti-thesis/against any religion especially ISLAM.

So you can't tell me that there is good imitating AMERICAN CULTURE.

[Changed]

waaaaaaaaw most def is a muslim ....I had a gut feeling talib kweli is a muslim and did y'll listen to his song "get by" ..but i gues he is not one ! :eek: