Overview

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.

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9781399537537

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Reviews

Anders Ackfeldt's timely intervention in the burgeoning field of Islam and hip-hop adds to the complexity of the subject matter, bringing to the fore both Muslim and non-Muslim voices to what he calls ""Islamic themes"" in American hip-hop. A must-read for all in the field of religion and popular culture!--Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir, author of Representing Islam: Hip-Hop of the September 11 Generation

Author Information

Anders Ackfeldt, PhD in History of Religions with specialisation in Islamic Studies from Lund University, is the Deputy Director of the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul. His latest book, Islamic Themes in US Hip-Hop Culture, has been published by Edinburgh University Press in 2025.

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