abdulraheem
Native Deen is an Islamic musical group based in America. Joshua Salaam, Abdul-Malik and Naeem Muhammed make up the group. Recently, Native Deen visited Abuja where it performed. Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, Editor Daily Trust, interviewed the trio. They commented on Islam in America, Islamic music generally, September 11 and much else. The Writings of a Media Life. Excerpts: I gather this is your first visit to the African continent. The group is called Native Deen, where is this coming from? The Arabic word Deen means religion. We feel that the Deen that is native to all humanity is Islam, and then given what has happened in our life, our upbringing, we might leave or go on another path. We felt an urge to write songs to call people to that path, to call people to remember Islam and Allah. We also want to emphasize the native connections among us. Thus, Native Deen became the natural name for our group. Why do use Rap as your medium for communication? We get asked this question a lot. It wasn’t like we made a decision to express ourselves through RAP. As we were growing up it was the culture of a lot of America-Americans that you rapped and made songs when you were young. Our Raps were about being raised as Muslims in America. As we got older, we noticed that our songs were gaining popularity, and that it was having an effect on the youth. So now we write our songs knowing that it would have an effect on people, and it may reach Muslims worldwide. So it was just part of our culture growing up, and now we realize its potential and its power, and so we really try to focus more, and do this better. You all are aware of the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. according to statistics. Belonging to that sensibility certainly must be a very useful inspirational background for you. How does it connect with younger people in America, especially young African-Americans? We are very much loved by the youth. The music that we have is not only liked by the youths. We find that a lot of older people also like it, and a lot of younger people. So we want to help uplift the people through Islam, as the fastest growing religion. We want to bring them close to Islam. It does help to know that this is happening. It increases the pride and the strength of people coming to this faith. When people come to Islam, they are looking for culture, and this is what these songs do for those people coming to Islam. They are looking for songs that can take their minds away from negative thoughts. These songs purify the mind The Writings of a Media Life. and help the Muslims to have a focus. What other musical traditions are present in your music? I would say that this project we started is called MYNA Rap, and MYNA stands for Muslim Youths of North America. Anyone who has a song or even a poem, on a rap tape, and we were on it, and other Muslims were on it. If you listen to it, you find different types of songs. You find some rap songs that come from different cultures, and it really shows that there is a board spectrum of the types of music that: Muslims are doing. We know of a group that sings mainly Acapella, without any other instrument. Since we began this we have run into a lot of Muslims who are doing different kinds of music, and now they are getting more into poetry, and writing. The artistic side of Muslims in America is really starting to come out, I have a brother who sings mostly folk music, and he is very popular for instance. There are others who sing nursery rhymes for small children, and above all there is a vibrant creative energy in the U.S. All of you have activist backgrounds in connection with Muslim Youth Organizations, where you all born Muslims? Yes. Tell me about the relationship with Cat Stevens? We were invited to a tour of England by Young Muslims, U.K. and we went to tour four cities in England, and one city in Scotland. When we got there, there were two acts, and already three acts were signed up with Mountain of Light records. so when we were touring, Yusuf Islam’s Company got to see us in action, performing with the crowd, and seeing the crowds response. We got to see their structure, their organization, and the way they have a lot of networking, and may be going to another level. So it was a good bond for them to talk to us, and for us taking our music to meet more people. We look forward to doing some great thing in the future. We are working on an album now, that should be coming out in about three months, and that will be the first hip hop group with Mountain of Light Records. This will be a real test to see where this will go. In September we also The Writings of a Media Life. Performed with him at the World famous Royal Albert Hall. Islam is the fastest growing religion in America. Given your experience why is that so? Well, its message is spreading not just in America, but in the world generally. All of our parents came to Islam. They were raised outside of Islam, and at some point in time they came to Islam. I am happy that we were born and raised as Muslims. It is obvious that the truth of Islam guides people. My mother told me the story about her coming to Islam. So the Qu’ran is very clear. There is no confusion in Islam; it is a very clear religion. The effect this is having in America is that a lot of Christian leaders now have to focus, to talk to their various congregations about Islam. They did not have to before the Churches are coming Islam. A lot of inmates go to prison, and become Muslims. We encourage this, because the more we talk things out instead of fighting, the greater progress we can achieve. This is having a good effect in the U.S. and vividly captured by interfaith meetings. It is a growing phenomenon. How did September 11 impact upon Muslim youths in America, and what was your response to it as artists who are conscious of being Muslims? It had an effect on the fact that it was a terrible event. There was spotlight on Muslims in America. In my specific case I found out that there were a lot of people more interested in Islam, because of that. So when a person meets a Muslim, they want to know more about the religion, and there are a lot of people coming to Islam. There is a lot of the negative, and a lot of the positive, it was tragic for America, and for Muslims in America as a whole. It was horrible, and we are still suffering from the effects of September 11, with laws, with public relations in the community, and what have you. When September 11 happened, and people began to attack Muslims, and to discriminate against Muslims, it showed that we were not doing enough to show the community who we were. So when it happened, it stereotyped us as terrorists. So Muslims decided to do more to present the true image of Islam in the media. So it has re-energized Muslims IN America, but we The Writings of a Media Life. are suffering from the effects of September 11. It has got us more active in our communities and also in politics. It made the youths become more vocal to their friends and loved ones. A lot of people needed examples. They needed to see what a Muslim is. For many people, the only Muslim they ever ran into was one they saw on TV, maybe a physician on programme. Now many Muslims want to set an example, to be the neighbours that Prophet Mohammed talks about. That alone can change a great perception. What other forms of popular culture are you interested in? We have Rap. Our music has many genres. We have r & b style. There are different flavours here; each one of us has a way which he wishes to use to express himself. We also wish to establish a very dynamic website. That is important for people to be able to view you, and see your activities 24 hours a day. We are trying to use that medium well. We also wish to use the video. If we send it to Nigeria, we will make some progress in that area in terms of spreading our message. We are trying to develop Islamic and Western attire. So we choose to dress this way. Living correctly, good morals, and consciousness of God are very important to us. How much of Africa have you experienced so far? One of us is already writing a song about our experience here. Whenever we experience life, some people write about it. This trip has had a profound effect on us. Most African Americans in America have, somewhere deep in their soul, a sense of loss for what happened to our people speak of the Motherland, and people come up to us and say, you look like someone from this tribe, and this has a serious effect on us. It is kind of sad. We are learning about where we came from. We don’t know about where we came from in Africa. So it is good to see the life here. All Africa American s will like to come here. Did Malcolm X have any effect on your development? In school we read the biography of Malcolm X. and he started life as a gangster, and ended as one of the best of humanity speaking at Harvard, for instance, so Malcolm X had a profound effect on The Writings of a Media Life. all of us. Some of our parents associated with the Civil Rights Movement also. “When September 11 happened, and people began to attack Muslims, and to discriminate against Muslims, it showed that we were not doing enough to show the community who we were. So when it happened, it stereotyped us as terrorists. So Muslims decided to do more to present the true image of Islam in the media. So it has re-energized Muslims in America, but we are suffering from the effects of September 11. It has got us more active in our communities and also in polities. It made the youths become more vocal to their friends and loved ones. A lot of people needed examples. They needed to see what a Muslim is. For many people, the only Muslim they ever ran into was one they saw on TV, maybe a physician on programme” Daily Trust,
Friday, March 26, 2004
