with vocals of young Muslim women reading verses of the Quran or performing spoken word poetry. “The production quality and level of musicianship just wasn’t there,” says Muhammad. “That wasn’t something most people were investing in. And not everyone was interested in giving this a chance. It was bad in the beginning but as the productions progressed and you could hear it and see it. That’s why by the third edition we called it ‘The Next level’ because though we were still rough, we were finding our voice, and finding our way through it all.” “The hardest part was getting people to contribute,” says Ahmad. “Naeem and myself are most featured on MYNA raps 2 to 4.”
Moving on to Native Deen and the MYNA Raps legacy two popular music bands and one singer. Despite this discouraging setback, Kaukab said ultimately, the controversy resulted in opening up the discussion of issues surrounding music in Islam. “Like most things in life, change only comes when people push the envelope and fight for it,” he says. “I would argue that because of the debate that we initiated and mainstreamed, musicians, community advisors, and even some scholars chose to revisit their opinions and reconsider their stances on music.”
On to MYNA Raps and beyond With the fallout of MYNA Raps 2, interest in making another tape dwindled. But Ahmad decided to persist. “After the Poets of Islam wasn’t produced, it was a big disappointment because a lot of money was spent and it was a kind of letdown,” he says. “For a good year or two there was nothing.” He finally decided to send a proposal to produce a third tape to his MYNA advisor, Mahmood Kazmi, asking for funding. After agreement from others in the organization, Ahmad was given “$1,000 to go to a studio and get stuff recorded. My reaction was ‘we got it, we can do it.’” MYNA Raps 3, like its first predecessor, was a small-scale production. Ahmad found a small studio near his home in Maryland. It was here that he and Muhammad recorded the raps they wrote and produced, coupled
After producing MYNA Raps 5, the group decided to disband in 1999. In 2000, Ahmad, Muhammad, and Salaam formed Native Deen, which continues to garner international success since the release of the group’s first album Deen You Know. “I think we kind of felt MYNA was for the youth and it was time for youth to take over that project,” Salaam says. “We were all well into our 20s by 1999. So we moved on to form our own group called Native Deen. And for the first five years, all we did was travel the world singing songs from MYNA Raps. The first Native Deen album did not come out until 2005.” “Without MYNA Raps there is no Native Deen,” Muhammad says. This is clear when considering the format of the group’s productions. This includes beginning with a chant, reading of or reminders of verses of the Quran, as well as interludes of conversation, often DJ-style, all hallmarks of the MYNA Raps tapes. While MYNA Raps never completely replaced the contemporary music youth were listening to, they did offer a muchneeded alternative. “It was our own little sub-culture within the music/rap world,” says Salaam. “We had our own thing. We had our own stars. It was new, cool, and different.” “People were and still are looking for Islamic alternatives to what’s mainstream so that they can preserve their Islamic identity,” says Alkhattab. Seraj echoes Alkhattab’s thought. “Youth today are being bombarded with Top 40, mainstream, over-sexualized pop
Islamic Horizons March/April 2013
and rap music. It would be great to see this continue. The need still exists,” Seraj says. MYNA Raps is also playing a role in parenting the next generation of Muslims. “When I’m explaining certain life concepts to my eight-year-old son, I find myself sometimes inadvertently mentioning the beautifully stated, clever MYNA raps lyrics, like ‘Are my intentions alright/Am I doing it for Allah/When I’m looking deep, deep down inside/Do I have the right niyyah,’” Abdul Rahman says. “You could have this same conversation with hundreds of parents who were once MYNA youth and they will tell you the same thing. That’s an amazing legacy. Imagine the Sadaqa Jariya, the reward of continuous charity, for the artists.” Ultimately, Muhammad hopes that, “people can see how far a little inspiration and help from friends, family, and advisors can create something beautiful and that despite the lack of proper training, proper studios, and musicians, something happened on those recordings that people swear changed their lives.”
■
Samana Siddiqui, content manager of Sound Vision Foundation’s website (www.soundvision.com), is also writer for the “Chicago Crescent.”
SEEKING PRINCIPAL
Orange Crescent School is currently seeking a principal. Candidates should meet the following minimum qualifications: ♦ A Master’s Degree in Educational Administration or equivalent. ♦ Administrative or leadership experience. ♦ An understanding of an Islamic Perspective in Education. ♦ Teaching experience at the Elementary and/or Middle School level. ♦ Knowledge of California Standards, Common Core Standards, Socio-cultural Learning Theory & techniques. ♦ Excellent oral and written communication skills, outstanding leadership abilities, personnel and budget management skills, and effective multitasking abilities. Please provide the following documents along with your submission: ✔ Resume/CV ✔ Administrative Credential Copy — Tier 1 or higher (A copy of a valid credential as it relates to the position in which you are applying) ✔ Letter of Introduction ✔ Letter(s) of Recommendation Interested candidates please apply immediately at: hr@orangecrescent.com
43