“Imma march’ toward Ka’ba”: Islam in Swedish hip-hop

Summary, in English

The common history of Islam and the hip-hop culture can be traced back to the early expression of the culture. Since the early days of hip-hop, Muslims have used hip-hop to convey Islamic messages. Artists driven, in equal parts, by a strong personal belief in Islam and a love for hip-hop music have taken Islamic-themed hip-hop outside its country of birth, the U.S., and have made it into a matter of global concern. In an attempt to contribute to and, hopefully, complicate the picture of what has been called the transglobal hip-hop umma, this article explores how Swedish Muslims articulate their beliefs through hip-hop in Sweden. With examples from both the Swedish mainstream and the underground, it highlights hip-hop music with an Islamic engagement whose aim is to promote and perform what is understood as “Islamic values,” such as ethics, peace, social responsibility, and a strong personal belief.

• Author: Anders Ackfeldt
• Department/s: Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES); MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World
• Publishing year: 2012
• Language: English
• Pages: 283-296
• Publication/Series: Contemporary Islam
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11562-012-0218-7
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Springer
• Topic: Other Social Sciences; History of Religions
• Keywords: muslims; rap; sweden; hip-hop; islam
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1872-0226