Islam in the Mix: Lessons of the Five Percent

Ted Swedenburg Department of Anthropology University of Arkansas tsweden@comp.uark.edu Paper presented at the Anthropology ollo!uium" University of Arkansas #ebruary $%" $%%& #irst version presented at the American Anthropological Association Annual 'eetings" (ovember $%%) Please do not cite without permission of the author

I was raised like a Muslim Prayin'to the East --Gangstarr, "Who'sGonna Take the Weight" (Step in the Arena)

onsider the opening segment from a recording called *Allahu Akbar* by rap artists +rand (ubian. ,ne possible interpretation of this song" which -u.taposes the opening of the /slamic call to prayer 0idhn1 and hip2hop beats" is that it suggests affinities between African2American and 'iddle 3astern /slamic culture. /n fact" this paper is part of a larger pro-ect which includes an investigation of such connections.$ +ut the reality is far more complicated than one of simple *affinity.* 4et me introduce a few complications at the outset. #irst" at the level of musical style. The cut *Allahu Akbar* is !uite untypical of what / am going to label here" for the sake of convenience" /slamic rap. Although a remarkable number of prominent US rappers identify themselves as 'uslims" it is e.tremely rare for them to throw musical samples from the Arabo2/slamic world into the mi.. ,rthodo. 'uslims consider setting

the call to prayer 0idhn1 to music and drums harm" forbidden" and many 'uslims would be shocked by +rand (ubian5s *Allahu Akbar*.6 Technically" one *chants* or *recites* 0tilwa1 the call to prayer" one does not *sing* 0ghanniya1 it7 *recitation* and *music* are seen as distinct categories which should be kept separate. Second" a complication at the level of doctrine. The /slamic *sect*8group to which +rand (ubian belong" known by outsiders as the #ive Percent (ation of /slam" by insiders as the (ation of 9ods and 3arths" hold beliefs so far removed from mainstream /slamic teachings as to be virtually unrecogni:able as /slamic to a ma-ority of 'uslims. #or e.ample" the chant *allahu akbar* 0*9od is 9reatest*1 in the conte.t of this +rand (ubian song means something very different than in mainstream /slamic beliefs. 9od8Allah" for #ive Percenters" is not the Divinity as conventionally defined by the monotheistic faiths. 9od is the black man. #or orthodo. 'uslims" this is shirk" un2/slamic polytheism. / will return to the !uestion of possible *'iddle 3ast connections* later" after a rather long detour. / want first to establish the significance of the sub-ect under discussion. /slamic rap is no marginal cultural phenomenon" but has firmly implanted itself at the center of US mass culture. ,ne week last September" for instance" three of the Top Ten albums on the +illboard charts were by rap groups with /slamic affiliations. ,ccupying the ;$ position was (as5s album It Was Written. At the time" his video single */f / <uled the =orld* 0recorded with 4auryn >ill of the #ugees1 was in heavy rotation on 'T?" and since then" *Street Dreams* has aired fre!uently on 'T?. (as is an avowed #ive Percenter. At ;& were the #ugees" whose album The Source had spent many weeks at ;$ and by September had gone platinum" with sales of over @ million units. The #ugees are not -ust a massive commercial phenomenon but are highly acclaimed by critics as well" some of whom regard the #ugees as the salvation of rap while others see them as the new face of alternative rock.A /f the #ugees are not in fact #ive Percent members" there are several indications that they are very close to it.@ Their chart2topping numbers include several references to /slam" such as my personal favorite" from their hit *#u2gee2la*B
I'm a true champion Like, Farrakhan Reads his Dail !ur'an It's a phenomenon, L rics "ast like Ramadan.5 Finally, at #10 was A Tribe Called Quest's #eats, Rh mes and Li"e. Tribe, a critically respected rap group, is considered to be on t e !positi"ity! tip. Two o# its $e$bers, Q%Tip &w o as contributed to t e pages o# t e $illage $oice) and Ali ' a eed (u a$$ad, are 'unni &ort odo)) (usli$s.

And there are many" many more. Among the commercially successful and critically hailed rappers who belong to the (ation of 9ods and 3arths areB <akim 0Allah1 of 3ric + and <akim" +ig Daddy Cane" Poor <ighteous Teachers" +usta <hymes" 4eaders of the (ew School" The 9uru of the group 9angstarr" Pete <ock and 4 Smooth" and 'obb Deep 0whose latest release entered the +illboard charts at ;) on December $" $%%)1. All members of the group" =u Tang lan" belong to the #ive Percent (ation" including those whose solo work has sold in the millionsB 'ethod 'an" ,l5 Dirty +astard" <aekwon" and most recently" 9host #ace Ciller" whose album Ironman charted at ;6 in (ovember DsalesEF1. The 9rammy Award2winning Digable Planets are also part of the #ive Percent orbit") and the Digables5 second release Blowout Comb is loaded with #ive2Percent references. /n fact" many more noted rappers belong to #ive Percent (ation than to 'inister 4ouis #arrakhan5s (ation of /slam 0(,/1. 0The two groups are closely related ideologically.1 Prominent rappers who are (,/ members or sympathi:ers include /ce ube" Public 3nemy" Cam" Professor 9riff" and Paris. Geru the Dama-a" whose second album Wrath o! the Math" hit the Top Ten album charts in (ovember" belongs to another /slamic sect"

Ausar Auset" which is close to #ive Percent (ation. ,nly a handful of significant rappers belong to more orthodo. US strands of /slam 0=arith Deen 'uhammad5s American 'uslim 'ission" or" the Sunnis1. The <oots" whose album Illadel"h #al!li!e also crashed the Top Ten this (ovember" have Sunni and HI members. Despite all the 9rammy Awards" the tens of millions of units sold" and the #ugees5 high2profile references to #arrakhan 8 <amadan 8 Jur5an" this /slamic infiltration of the cultural mainstream has" surprisingly" gone virtually without comment" whether from the popular media or the academy. This general silence with regard to /slamic rap is even true of the most acute African2 American or Afro2+ritish criticism of the hip2hop scene 0for instance" Tricia <ose" Paul 9ilroy" <ussell A. Potter" 9reg Tate1.& An e.ample of such avoidance is an important and much2cited essay by +lack +ritish critic Paul 9ilroy" entitled */t Ain5t =here Kou5re #rom" /t5s =here Kou5re At...The Dialectics of Diasporic /dentification.* The title cites a line from 3ric +. and <akim5s rap song" */n the 9hetto.* According to 9ilroy" the song *directly inspired the production* of the essay 0$%%$BA1" and 9ilroy adds that rapper <akim has produced *the most comple. and e.citing poetry to emerge from the >ip >op movement* 0$%%$B A1. 9ilroy invokes the lyrics of <akim Allah here in what is a very compelling argument against what he calls ethnic absolutism8racial essentialism and in favor of *fractal patterns of cultural and political affiliation* 0$%%$B $@1. */t ain5t where you5re from" it5s where you5re at* would appear to encapsulate the argument that what really matters is not biology or origin but politics and affiliation. Ket 9ilroy makes no mention of other lines from the same song that are arguably essentialist and absolutist #ive Percent allusions. #or instance" <akim mentions those who *lived in the caves* 0the white men1" the ,riginal Asiatic +lack man 0*they couldn5t cave me in 8 cause /5m the Asian*1" the *third eye* 0the mind" in HI terminology1" and he states" *#rom knowledge to born back to knowledge precise"* another occult #ive Percent reference.L =hat are we to make of this almost willed avoidanceE / want to focus my speculations here on scholarly evasions" but perhaps they are relevant to the media as well. ,ne factor for this avoidance appears to be a blind spot afflicting scholars working in the fields of ultural Studies and popular culture when it comes to the !uestion of religion" and especially /slam 0see 'ahmood $%%)1. 'any *progressive* academics are heavily invested in the *oppositional* !uality of African2American rap and are therefore perhaps made uncomfortable by the possibility that */slam* could be a vehicle of resistance.% 'any scholars" for instance" have written about the group Public 3nemy 0P31" widely regarded as having produced some of the most incisive political rap" but there has been little attention to P35s /slamic sympathies" even though the group5s lyrics" the sub-ect of intensive study and citation" make very overt references to (,/ doctrine.$M The other reason for the lack of critical attention to /slam in rap is that many /slamic references are either not obvious or simply occult. The cultural critic interested in rap but who has not bothered to study the beliefs of (ation of /slam or the (ation of 9ods and 3arths will" of course" not catch the allusions.$$ huck D of Public 3nemy5s oft2cited claim that rap music is * (( for black people"* a vehicle to convey the crisis2ridden reality of the urban black community" must therefore be problemati:ed. Although the appalling conditions of the Post2 #ordist ghetto are a significant theme of the best rap music 0including of course" /slamic rap1" rap5s messages are not merely about the *real"* about *authenticity.* /slamic rap5s lyrical illegibility is not -ust a !uestion of signifyin0g1" of rappers playing +lack word games that white outsiders cannot comprehend 0see Potter $%%HBL$2LH1. #or although #ive Percenters are a familiar presence in +lack urban communities" African2Americans often do not fully understand #ive Percent messages either 0see d to tha - $%%6B$M7 Games $%%6B$)1. #ull comprehension is only possible for the initiate" and many allusions appear to be aimed specifically at insiders. =hat / want to do now is introduce some significant #ive Percent beliefs which are articulated by rappers" to convey a sense of the heterogeneity of #ive Percent hip2hop" and then return to the !uestion of possible 'iddle 3astern affiliations. / should say that my account of the #ive Percenters teachings is based primarily on an investigation of written sources" some of them

primary" and includes items / have located on the #ive Percent homepage 0httpB88metalab.unc.edu8nge81 and on various internet bulletin boards and discussion groups.
%raises are due to &llah, that's me --%oor Righteous Teachers, "#utt 'aked #oot #less" ((ol Intellect) T e Fi"e *ercent +ation was #ounded by Clarence 1,-, w o .oined t e +/0 Te$ple +o. 1 in 2arle$ in t e early 1350s &w en it was led by (alcol$ -) and beca$e a lieutenant in t e Fruit o# 0sla$ &t e +/0 security #orce) and a student $inister. 0n t e early si)ties Clarence began to 4uestion t e +/0 doctrine t at 5od ad appeared in 6etroit in 13,0 in t e person o# (aster Farad (u a$$ad &pronounced Fa%r7d). &0t was Farad w o passed on is teac ings to is $essenger, 8li.a (u a$$ad.) Clarence 1,- reportedly began to doubt t at Farad was 5od, since t e +/0 taug t t at t e /riginal &9lac:) (an was Alla &see ;incoln 133<=>3), and Farad loo:ed w ite &see p oto in ???). &Farad, as we will discuss later, was probably an Arab). Clarence 1,- began to teac t at t e blac: $an collecti*el was 5od. 2e was repri$anded in 13>,, le#t t e +/0 along wit a #ew #ollowers, c anged is na$e #ro$ Clarence 1,- to Alla , and began preac ing to t e yout on t e streets o# 2arle$.

#ather Allah" as his followers came to call him" taught that the HI are those black men with *knowledge of self.* This HI knows their divinity" and uses that knowledge to release the hidden resources of black man. ,nce a man has tapped his hidden talents" he is a 9od. 'ost members refer to themselves as 9ods rather than #ive Percenters" reserving the latter term for those who have only begun studying the knowledge.
Wh + That's most asked , -. --Lad ,ug /ecca o" Diga,le %lanets I "ear "or the -. 0ho don't got a clue --/ethod /an, on 1l' Dirt #astard's "Ra0hide! &Return to the 23 4ham,ers5 The Dirt $ersion)

T e @5A are t ose 0ithout t e :nowledge, t e $entally blind, dea# and du$b w o are bent on sel#%destruction. T e 10A are t e bloodsuc:ers o# t e poor, t ose w o a"e :nowledge and power but w o use it to $ysti#y and abuse t e @5A. T e 10A include t e !gra#ted! w ite de"il &created, according to Farad's teac ing, by t e e"il scientist Bacub appro)i$ately >000 years ago1C) as well as t e ort odo) (usli$s and C ristian preac ers w o preac t at god is a !spoo:! or a !$ystery god.! To hear m people ,een lost "or o*er 677 ears &nd the tried this m ster God &nd all the got 0as hard times --#rand 'u,ian, "&in't 'o / ster " (In God We Trust) T e 5A are t e poor rig teous teac ers w o preac t e di"inity o# &blac:) $an, t e god w o is !$ani#est! &not a spoo:, not a $ystery god) and w o will sa"e t e @5A #ro$ destruction.1,

#ather Allah5s other signal contribution besides his theological innovations with regard to the divinity of the black man was that he took the doctrine of 'aster #arad and 3li-ah 'uhammad to the street. /n particular" he disseminated #arad 'uhammad5s secret teachings" known as the *4ost2#ound 'uslim 4essons"* which are arranged in !uestion2and2answer format 0and seem to have been modeled on the catechism of the 'asons1.$@ At the time" (,/ members were not allowed to discuss the tradition with outsiders and were supposed to keep it a complete secret. /n the early 5)Ms" the (,/ Temple hierarchy monopoli:ed the lessons and guarded them from the rank and file. #ather Allah also developed his own system of teachings" known as the Supreme 'athematics and the Supreme Alphabets 0Prince2A2 uba $%%MB %2$M1. The *divine sciences* of Supreme 'athematics and Alphabets are sets of principles" attached to numerals and to the letters of the alphabet" which serve as the keys to divine knowledge. #or #ive Percenters" the *science of Supreme 'athematics is the key to understanding man5s relationship to the universe* 0*=hat =e Teach*1. /slam" for the (ation of 9ods and 3arths" is a mathematics2based science" a way of life and not a religion" not a set of beliefs 0*=hy =e Are (ot 'uslims*1. Prince2A2 uba5s description of #arad5s lessons applies e!ually well to those of #ather AllahB they were *an esoteric ritual containing keys for recognition between fellow members7 a cohesive world view7 and a tradition that could be e.plained only to initiates* 0$%%61. #ather Allah focused his recruitment efforts on the youth of >arlem" and eventually branched out to other 3ast oast cities. Although #ather Allah was gunned down in $%)% by unknown assassins"$H his movement lived on under a collective leadership. The organi:ation5s membership" mainly recruited from among urban +lack youth" has continued to grow and to spread" reaching =est oast cities in $%L&2LL. Koung #ive Percenters are renowned for their tremendous oral skills" gained through intensive drilling in the lessons and through street preaching. Therefore they are ama:ingly lo!uacious when *droppin5 science* or teaching HI lessons.
I drop science like a scientist1> / melod 's in code --8ric #9 and Rakim, "/ /elod " (%aid in Full)

(o doubt the verbal proficiency that 9ods gain by memori:ing the lessons and taking their ministry to the street are important factors for their rise to preeminence in the rap world. 4et me now *sample* -ust a few rap manifestations of #ive Percent teachings. $. Simply Mathematical. #ive Percent rap is full of numerology" based on #ather Allah5s Supreme 'athematics. #or #ive Percenters" *the science of Supreme 'athematics is the key to

understanding man5s relationship to the universe* 0*=hat =e Teach*1. ,f great significance to the 9ods" for instance" is the number &.
I'm God G is the se*enth letter made --8ric #9 and Rakim, "'o 4ompetition" (Follo0 the Leader) 'e"en is t e nu$ber o# per#ection. 0t stands #or t e se"ent letter o# t e alp abet, 5, and #or 5od. &Fi"e *ercenters originated t e o$eboy e)pression, !'sup Dw at's upE, 5?!F originally !5! stood #or 5od, not gangsta.) According to Ga %H%Alla , :eeper o# t e 5A website, !T e 5od sees in cycles o# 1 colors o# t e rainbow and ears in 1 cycles o# notes on t e $usical scale.!11 According to Farad's lessons, t e /riginal &9lac:) (an as 1 1IC ounces o# brain, t e &w ite) de"il, only > ounces &Farad, ;ost Found (usli$ ;esson +o. C). T e #lag o# t e Fi"e *ercenters, :nown as t e Jni"ersal Flag o# 0sla$, contains a 1 &sy$bol o# 5od) surrounded by a crescent $oon &signi#ying t e blac: wo$an) and a star &signi#ying t e c ild). 'o0 I'm rolling 0ith the se*en and the crescent %u""in' some e:pression /ani"estin' toda 's lesson --Diga,le %lanets, ";th Wonder" (#lo0out 4om,) C. Break it down. Fi"e *ercenters are e)tre$ely adept at t e !brea:ing down! o# words, in order to arri"e at t eir true, esoteric $eaning, in accordance wit (aster Farad's and Fat er Alla 's lessons. For instance, #ro$ *ete Koc: and C; '$oot = Li,raries, ,roken do0n as lies ,uried999 Tele*ision tell a lie *ision -- "&nger in the 'ation" (/ecca and the <oul #rother) %%/r, t e Koots= =-n-i- *erse - ou and I *erse. %% "='I*erse at War" &Illadelph (al"li"e) %%9uc:s ot &o# 9lac: (oon)= all we need is Gesus, w ic $eans Ges% us, or !Gust Js,! to sa"e oursel"es.

22The name of rapper AN" short for Asiatic" which broken down is Age and Attic" broken down again is age O body and attic O mind. 22,r from +rand (ubianB
>ou got to kno0 the ledge o" 0ise and dome &nd understand our culture o" "reedom -- "&ll For 1ne" (1ne For &ll) %%According to Fat er Alla 's 'upre$e (at e$atics, Lnowledge is t e Foundation o# all in 8)istence. 0t is t e /riginal DAsiatic 9lac:E (an, w o ':nows t e ledge' or t e boundaries o# i$sel# and :nows t at t ere is 'no ledge' or no ending to is circu$#erence...Misdo$ is your Mise Mords, Mays

and Actions...Misdo$ is de"eloped #ro$ t e :nowledge o# 'el#, w ic allowDsE /ne to Mise or 'pea: 0ntelligently #ro$ t e 6o$e or t e (ind. %%/r= I ,e the uni*ersal, the #iochemical &rm, Leg, Leg, &rm, (ead is the ph sical That keeps rh min' until it's un,eara,le --The Genius, "True Fresh /4" (Words From the Genius) Alla , a.:.a. Ar$ ;eg ;eg Ar$ 2ead, is t e 9lac: (an #ro$ Asia &'upre$e Alp abet).

/n fact" many HI terms" such as *droppin5 science"* *5sup 9E* and *let me break it down for ya* have achieved such common currency within the hip2hop community that they have lost their original resonance" at least for fans who know nothing of /slam in rap. 3ven the e.pression *word* has a HI originB 9ods uttered *word* in response to someone who had stated a profound truth 0(uruddin $%%@B $6&1. The greeting *peace"* heard throughout the hip2hop world" was originally a word of greeting for the 'oorish Science Temple" an /slamic predecessor of the HI (ation 0#auset $%H&B HM&1.F ,ther HI manifestations in rap demonstrate a great deal of heterogeneity of belief" due no doubt to the fact that" unlike the (,/" the (ation of 9ods and 3arth is not organi:ed according to a strict hierarchy" but has a collective leadership. Some HI rappers" in line with their brothers in the (,/" oppose the consumption of alcohol and mari-uanaB
<ta o"" the drugs i" a 0anna ,e do0n 0ith this posse --%oor Righteous Teachers, "?66@" (#lack #usiness) 9ut ot ers are well%:nown #or ad"ocating t e consu$ption o# (oNt and blunts &9rand +ubian, +as, and especially t e Mu Tang Clan). I drink /oAt 0ith /edusa Gi*e em shotguns in hell From the spli"" that I li"t and inhale --'as, "It &in't (ard to Tell" (Illmatic) I got, "at ,ags o" skunk I got, White 10l ,lunts &nd I'm a,out to go get li"ted --Wu Tang 4lan, "/ethod /an" (8nter the Wu-Tang B23 4ham,ersC) ;ord Ga$$ar o# 9rand +ubian e)plains, !'ee, in t e Fi"e *ercent +ation, eac $an is t e sole controller o# is own uni"erse. 0# you're t e god o# your uni"erse, you set up your own laws! &A earn 1331=51).1@

As for gender" the #ive Percenters are less likely to deploy the *bitch8ho* schema of representing women that is favored" as is so well known" by so2called gangsta rappers. Ket HI rap remains an overwhelmingly male activity7 the only female rappers in this orbit are 4ady 'ecca of the Digable Planets" 4auryn >ill of the #ugees" and a very minor character in the =u Tang roster" vocalist +lue <aspberry7 recently these have been -oined by the new <P+ sensation who has been compared to +illie >olliday" 3rykah +adu. According to #ive Percent beliefs" only a man

can achieve the level of perfection symboli:ed by a &" whereas a woman can only reach a ). 9ods refer to =omen members as 3arths" or Jueens.
%eace to all the !ueens <u,mitting to the se*ens -- %oor Righteous Teachers, "4an I <tart This" ((ol Intellect)9 Gust as 8art re"ol"es around t e sun, wo$an is subordinate to $an.13 A Queen or !8art ,! $ust co"er ,I< o# er body, .ust as ,I< o# t e eart is co"ered by water, and so 5A wo$en wear ead co"erings and long loose%#itting gar$ents. A #e$ale Fi"e *ercenter is :nown as a !$usli$,! unli:e t e $ale 5od, because s e witnesses to t e #act t at er $an is Alla &+uruddin 133<= 1C@). According to 'incere Alla (erci#ul 5od, !5od is not a (usli$. 5od does not sub$it! &!M y Me Are +ot (usli$s!). 'o alt oug Fi"e *ercenters tend to treat wo$en wit respect, t eir orientation creates little space #or #e$ale 5A rap per#or$ers or t e articulation o# wo$en's issues.C0 Girls girls these are the details I like sophisticated li,erated "emales Dutch treat I ha*e no Dualms 0ith it999 #ecause 0ith all due respect I 0anna stick it to ou --Gang <tarr, "4onscience #e Free" ('o /ore /r9 'ice Gu ) I ain't do0n "or a hone 0ho don't 0anna su,mit999 <ee I'm not the kind to let a 0oman run it --#rand 'u,ian, "Lo*e /e or Lea*e /e &lone" (In God We Trust) 9ut again, t ere is "ariability, as 6igable *lanets a"e recorded one song against rig t%to%li#ers &w o$ t e 6igables call #ascists) and in #a"or o# abortion rig ts &!;a Fe$$e FOtal!) and re#er positi"ely to 9lac: #e$inist t eorist bell oo:s in t e song !6og 0t.!.C1

>omose.uality also comes in for its share of bashing in HI rap" no less than in other rap varieties. Ket despite homophobic lyrics" #ive2Percenters" particularly members of the =u Tang lan" have been rap leaders with regard to participation in A/DS benefits" some of them sponsored by gay organi:ations. #ive2Percent rappers 'obb Deep" Pete <ock and the =u Tang all participated in the album" $merica is %ying Slowly"66 released in Gune $%%)" whose proceeds go to fight A/DS. /n (ovember $%%H" 'ethod 'an along with rappers Jueen 4atifah and C<S2 ,ne" plus funksters Cool and the 9ang"6A performed at an A/DS Dance2a2thon staged by (ew Kork5s 9ay 'en5s >ealth rises enter that raised Q$.$ million for the A/DS battle.6@ <aekwon and 9host #ace Ciller of the =u performed in #ebruary $%%) at another A/DS benefit at the <o.y Total" (ew Kork.6H As for the sub-ect of the white devils 0referred to variously in HI lyrics as snakes" serpents" the Kacub crew" skunks" cave dwellers" etc.1 here too HI rappers e.press a variety of opinion. +rand (ubian and Poor <ighteous Teachers represent the hardline position. =ise /ntelligent of Poor <ighteous Teachers has asserted" *All the prophets have tried to reform white man" but he cannot be reformed. =hite man continued to do devilishment* 0Ahearn $%%$B &)1" and *the potency of melanin in the black man makes him naturally rhythmic* 03ure and Spady $%%$B&@1.
/ost de"initel %oor Righteous Teachers ne*er ,e do0n We're 0ith the kings and cro0ns not clo0ns 'o ,lue e es and ,londe hair is o*er here

--%oor Righteous Teachers, "Word "rom the Wise" ((ol Intellect) I'm makin' de*ils co0er to the 4aucus /ountains -Wu Tang 4lan, "Da / ster o" 4hess,o:in'", 8nter the Wu-Tang &nd o the de*il's got assassination sDuads Want to kill niggaE cuE the 're scared o" God --Gang <tarr, "TonE 1' GunE" ((ard to 8arn) /t er 5A rappers a"e $ore nuanced "iews. ;a:i$ ' abaPP, #or instance, asserts, !0 don't #eel t at e"ery w ite person is t e de"il...9ut t e $a.ority o# t e ones 0'"e co$e across are sort o# de"ilis to $e 'cause 0 #eel it's in t eir nature! &A earn 1331= 1>)F Ka:i$ also clai$s &despite is re#erences to t e ca"e $an, $entioned abo"e) not to be pre.udiced against or ate w ites as a group &A earn 1331=1>F Ga$es 133C=11). +as, too, appears to occupy t e less dog$atic pole= It'll ,e paradise li"e rela:in' #lack, Latino, and &nglo-<a:on --"I" I Ruled the World" (It Was Written) T is $oderation o# et nic absolutis$ $ay be in#luenced by recent $o"es wit in t e +ation o# 0sla$, in w ic t e de"il is regarded as an e"il c aracteristic t at is also 0ithin t e blac: $an, not Fust a c aracteristic o# t e w ite.

A !uick comparison of the =u Tang lan and the Digable Planets is another way to suggest something of the range of HI rap. The =u5s sound mi." produced by member <NA" is hard" abrasive" uncompromising" and often" unsettling. heck out *=u2Tang lan Ain5t (othin5 Ta #5=it*B

BTiger st leC BTiger st leC Tiger st le >o, huh, huh Wu-Tang 4lan &in't 'uttin Ta Fuck Wit Wu-Tang 4lan &in't 'uttin Ta Fuck Wit Wu-Tang 4lan &in't 'uttin Ta Fuck Wit There's no place to hide once I step inside the room Dr9 Doom, prepare "or the ,oom #&/G &0, /&'G I <L&/ H&/, that's "reedom like TarEan I ,e tossin, en"orcin, m st le is a0esome I'm causin more Famil Feud's than Richard Da0son

&nd the sur*e said -- a dead Fatal Fl ing Guillotine chops o"" our "uckin head 999999 'o0 0h tr and test, the Re,el I'<+ #lessed since the ,irth, I earth-slam our ,est 4ause I ,ake the cake, then take the cake &nd eat it, too, 0ith m cre0 0hile 0e head state to stateG

The lyrics blend HI concerns with the imagery and tenets of kung fu 0borrowed from >ong Cong cinema1. 'ore recently" on lan member <aekwon5s solo album the =u rappers appeared under the guise of the *=u 9ambinos"* and each member has taken a second nickname that refers to $%AM5s gangsters. Ket for all their manifestation of toughness" the =u Tang also articulate" according to 9reg Tate" *pain" confusion and alienation"* as well as *a cry for help* 0$%%)1.6)
#ut he carried on, 0ith the same old stu"" With <tephanie, like a 0hamm , he pressed his luck #oth tried to ,e do0n 0ith 19%9%9 &in't nuttin' 0rong ,ut he got caught 0ith the (9I9$9 no0 'o li"e to li*e, doc sa s t0o more ears <o a"ter the laughter, I guess comes the tears -- "TearE," 8nter the Wu-Tang T e Mu Tang do not #oreground !politics! in t eir lyrics, per aps opting to :eep suc concerns occult, but t e group as played a bene#it concert to raise $oney #or political prisoner (u$ia Abu%Ga$al.C1

The Digable Planets $%%@ release Blowout Comb" by contrast" wears its politics on the sleeve" as it were 0the cover is a +lack Panther tribute1. The lyrics on Blowout Comb mi. HI concerns with +lack Panther2inspired +lack nationalist2and2revolutionary 'ar.ist ideology and imagery. 0There were already hints of this orientation on the Digables5 $%%A 9rammy winner" &eachin' '$ (ew &e!utation o! Time and S"ace) but they mostly went unnoticed1.6L The Digables voice their comple." /slamo2Afrocentric2'aoist revolutionism in a smooth" mellow rapping style" and the raps float in over a funky and seductive -a::2 and <P+2inflected musical mi.. #or instance" *Dog /t*B
Lost m leather Facket Go acid disappear in the 0iss+ In the mist 0ith the "ist %roletariat 4adillac steerin it 99999panther cool 'o0 I'm makin' ,acon <till sa in' 0hat up &s-salaam ala kum Fresh Foints 0e make em like 0ater I raise e*er da "or the masses I poke m "ist right up right against the "ascists999 In m *ein li*es ,ell hooks /r, !6ial 1!= War"are "or the proFects9999 1n an onslaught 0e plague ou999

4annot get to999 I die "ightin B+++C got the de*ils that get smoked 6igable lyrics, rapping styles, and $usical $i)es are t ere#ore in $ar:ed contrast to t ose o# t e Mu.

/ would like to return now to the !uestion of the relation of HI ideology to the type of /slamic teachings that one encounters in the 'iddle 3ast. / would argue" first of all" that the 'iddle 3ast and /slam function as powerful images of non2=estern civili:ation with which #ive Percenters" like (,/ members" can identify. The /slamic 'iddle 3ast also serves as a location in which to root an Afro2American narrative of civili:ed origin that antedates the civili:ed =est. +ut the 'iddle 3ast and /slam rarely appear as contemporary or historical realities in HI rap. The precedence of image over reality is demonstrated by the fact that the 9ods5 rap lyrics rarely allude to or embrace actual social movements or events in the /slamo2'iddle 3astern world. And" as we have seen" musical allusions to the 'iddle 3ast 0such as in +rand (ubian5s *Allahu Akbar*1 are e!ually rare. Somewhat unusual therefore is 'ethod 'an5s song *P.4.,. Style"* which articulates a militant approach to everyday survival in the ghetto that suggests parallels to Palestinian political struggles" and includes the line" */ranian thoughts and cover like an Arabian.* At the same time" these /slamo2Arab references are mi.ed 0in the same song1 with talk of drinking and lookin5 for 5hos.6% As for the deep sources of HI 0as well as (,/ beliefs1" here too there is a remarkable heterogeneity" even when it comes to direct 'iddle 3ast8/slamic influences. #or instance" (oble Drew Ali" whose 'oorish Science Temple is a direct predecessor of the (ation of /slam" traveled to 3gypt" where he claims to have been initiated into the ancient 3astern mysteries. (oble Drew taught that blacks were *Asiatics* and specifically 'oors" whose ancestors lived in 'orocco before their forcible transportation to (orth America. +ut (oble Drew was e!ually influenced by non2/slamic sources. >is prophecy" called The Circle Se*en +oran" is nearly half based on an apocryphon" The $,uarian -os"el o! .esus the Christ by *4evi* >. Dowling" an account of hrist5s -ourney and stay in /ndia from his adolescence until the age of AM 0=ilson $%%AB 6$1. Another significant influence on (oble Drew was 'asonry" from whom he seems to have adapted" among other things" the 'oorish initiation rites" catechistic forms of teachings" esoteric traditions" and the practice of wearing the fe: 0=ilson $%%AB 6)1. (oble Drew and the (,/ also appear to have drawn on 'asonic numerology" especially the importance of the numeral & 0<ashad $%%@B ))1. The belief that the alphabet and numerology are esoteric keys to wisdom also probably have their deeper origins in /slamic Sufi traditions 0and perhaps the Gewish Cabbala1 0(uruddin $%%@B $661.AM The concern with occult sciences and the mystery of numbers is shared as well by /sma5ili Shi5ites and the Dru:e sect" an esoteric offshoot from mainstream Shi5ism. Dru:e teaching additionally involves secrecy and the revelation of doctrine in stages to initiates7 such parallels with the (,/ led sociologist 'orroe +erger to con-ecture that 'aster #arad" the *9od* of the (,/" was a Dru:e or an /sma5ili 0<ashad $%%@B &&1. This idea is not farfetched" for there is good evidence suggesting that #arad was an Arab from 9reater Syria 04ebanon" Syria" Palestine or Trans-ordan1" includingB the one e.tant photo of #arad7 the fact that he was a peddler 0a very common occupation for Arab Dru:e immigrants in the midwest during the thirties17 and #arad5s own claims to his followers that he came from 'ecca.A$ A final deep source are the Gehovah5s =itnesses. +oth #arad and 3li-ah 'uhammad encouraged followers to read the books of Gehovah5s =itnesses5 leader Goseph <utherford" and Adib <ashad has demonstrated the parallels in eschatology between the (,/ and the =itnesses 0$%%@B$L$2$L@1. As for the #ive Percent notions that +lack man is 9od" these are consonant with 9nostic tendencies that one encounters in hristianity" Gudaism" and /slam" especially in Sufi and Shi5ite spheres 0including /sma5ilism and the Dru:e1. /n such conceptions" 9od is conceived as a spirit" a

spirit that is manifested in man and only in man. #or the Dru:e" the founder al2>akim is 9od in person7 for /smai5lis" the imams are embodiments of divine light" and they show the divine potential of man. #or (,/ and HI2ers" 3li-ah 'uhammad" 4ouis #arrakhan and #ather Allah represent the fullness of 9od in 'an" to which men can aspire. The HI2ers and (,/ have simply given this 9nostic tendency an Afrocentric twist. /n terms of thinking about the HI (ation and its relation to /slamic peoples and beliefs" which have been circulating in (orth America" unobserved" on the margins" ever since the beginnings of the 3uropean invasion of this continent" / find helpful Peter 4amborn =ilson5s notion of *sacred drift.* =ilson describes sacred drift as a process whereby /slamic heretical cultures of resistance 0and in some cases" orthodo. /slamic tenets1 are carried into the =est" by =estern heretics" transformed" and incorporated into our own cultures of resistance" our own heresies. This circulation of heresies re!uires" =ilson argues" a strategy of tact" even silence" but communicativeness is not ruled out 0=ilson $%%ABH" &1. Apocryphal te.ts also play an important role in these dynamics. */n the world of apocrypha"* =ilson observes"
t e 0$ages o# establis ed religion and canonical te)ts ac4uire a :ind o# $utability, a tendency to dri#t, to re#lect t e sub.ecti"ities o# t e &o#ten anony$ous) "isionaries w o si#t t roug #rag$ents in order to produce $ore #rag$ents... &133,=CC). (y #eeling is t at to .udge 5A &or +/0) belie#s in relation to a baseline o# 0sla$ic ort odo)y, ,C and t en to conde$n t ese belie#s as un%0sla$ic, is not "ery use#ul ere. &T is is t e #re4uent c arge o# "arious ort odo) (usli$s D9lac:s includedE in t e J' against 5A%ers and especially t e +/0.) 0 t in: t at is $ore elp#ul to regard t e +ation o# 5ods and 8art s as our own, Mestern eresy. A Mestern eresy t at asserts= t e di"inity o# t e blac: $an, as against w ite i$ages o# GesusF t at t e blac: $an, not t e w ite $an, is t e original $an, and t at w ite $an is t e biological descendant o# t e blac:F t at t e w ite $an is, by nature and practice, de"ilis and pri$iti"e and t e blac:, ci"iliPedF t at w ite teac ing, based on tec nology, is si$ply !tric:nology,! and t at 9lac: science, based on $at e$atics, is a superior #or$ o# understandingF t at Ar$ageddon is co$ing soon, t at t e wic:ed rule o# t e w ite $an is about to end, and t at t e global $a.ority non%w ites will soon co$e to power.,,

=hat is also interesting here is the fact that these heretical" esoteric teachings have been propelled" from their heretofore obscured places of origin" to the center of global culture. /f 'oorish Science and (,/ emerged during the #ordist era of massive black migration to the industrial cities of the 'idwest and the (ortheast" the ne.t wave" /slamic rap" belongs to the post2#ordist era of global restructuration" de2industriali:ation" and crack economies. As /slamic rappers infiltrate the Top Ten" as 'inister #arrakhan brings a million men together for the purpose of atonement" we need to begin to acknowledge */slamic* and 'iddle 3astern presences in our midst. The study of such phenomena will re!uire a serious intellectual engagement with the difficult issue" for secular academics" of *religion* and spirituality" and an engagement that dispenses with labels like fundamentalism" e.tremism" ethnic absolutism" irrationalism" myth" racism" etc. 0see Asad $%%A7 Pimienta2+ey $%%H1. Another pitfall" / would add" would be to adopt a position of fear" shock and horror that certain HI2er beliefs22for instance" the divinity of the black man and the devilish nature of the white man22are popular today among black youth. /n some ways" / am rather ambivalent about bringing these views and their significance into visibility" given the hysterically hostile media and government reaction to 4ouis #arrakhan as well as the abysmal mainstream scapegoating of +lack urban youth. /f we think that some of these doctrines are problematic or heretical" we need to try to understand them" to engage them" and to try to work to change conditions that produce them. References

Ahearn" harlie. $%%$. *The #ive Percent Solution.* S"in )0$$1 0#ebruary1B H@2H&" &). Allah" +eloved. $%L&. *The +ombB The 9reatest Story (ever Told.* Transcribed from articles in The Word $B$ 0Guly $%L&17 $BA 0August 8 September $%L&17 and $B@ 0,ctober 8 (ovember $%L&1. 0The Word is the newspaper of the #ive Percenters.1 Posted on alt.rap" April $" $%%)" by allah@unc.edu 0Gah:id Allah1. Allah" #ather. Supreme Alphabets. Posted on the #ive Percent >omepage" httpB88sunsite.unc.edu.nge. 0(o longer available1 RRRRRRRR. Supreme 'athematics. Posted on the #ive Percent >omepage" httpB88sunsite.unc.edu.nge. 0(o longer available1 Allen" >arry. $%%$. *<ighteous /ndignationB <appers Talk About the Strength of >ip2>op P /slam.* The Source @L 0'arch8April1B @L2HA. 3l2Amin" 'ustafa 0$%%$1. The &eligion o! Islam and the (ation o! Islam/ What is the %i!!erence0 (ewark" (GB 3l2Amin Productions. Asad" Talal. $%%A. *The 4imits of <eligious riticism in the 'iddle 3astB (otes on /slamic Public Argument.* /n -enealogies o! &eligion" 6MM26A). +altimoreB Gohns >opkins University Press. +rennan" Tim. $%%@. *,ff the 9angsta TipB A <ap Appreciation" or #orgetting About 4os Angeles.* Critical In,uiry 6M0@1B))A2)%A. Decker" Geffrey 4ouis. $%%A. *The State of <apB Time and Place in >ip >op (ationalism.* Social Te1t A@B HA2L@. Dee Tee. $%%). *The 9host +ehind the /ron urtain.* Stress @B@M2@$. d to tha -. $%%6. *Poor <ighteous TeachersB Cnowledge Kourself.* &a" Sheet 0,ctober1B $M2$6. 3ure" Goseph D. and Games 9. Spady. $%%$. (ation Conscious &a"2 (ew KorkB P /nternational Press. #arad" 'aster 'uhammad. *4ost #ound 'uslim 4essons (os. $ P 6.* Posted on the #ive Percent >omepage" httpB88sunsite.unc.edu.nge. 0(o longer available1 #auset" Arthur >. $%H&. *'oorish Science Temple of America.* /n G. 'ilton Kinger" ed." &eligion Society and the Indi*idual" @%L2HM&. (ew KorkB 'ac'illan. #oeges" Alec. $%%). *The #ugeesB 4eaders of the (ew ool.* &olling Stone &@6 0September1B@M2 @@" &62&A. 9ilroy" Paul. $%%$. */t Ain5t =here Kou5re #rom" /t5s =here Kou5re At...The Dialectics of Diasporic /dentification.* Third Te1t $ABA2$). RRRRRRR $%%6. */t5s a #amily Affair* /n 9ina Dent" ed." Black Po"ular Culture" AMA2A$). SeattleB +ay Press. >ost" ?ivian. $%%). *+elieve the >ypeB The #ugees confirm their spot at the top of the hip2hop crop"* %aily Cali!ornian" April H" $%%). Games" Darryl. $%%6. *<akimB The #ive Percent Science.* &a" Sheet 0,ctober1B$)2$&" A6. 4incoln" . 3ric. $%%@. The Black Muslims in $merica2 Third ed. 0$st. ed. $%)$.1 9rand <apids" 'ich.B =illiam +. 3erdmans Publishing o.7 Trenton" (GB Africa =orld Press. 'ahmood" Saba. $%%). * ultural Studies and 3thnic AbsolutismB omments on Stuart >all5s 5 ulture" ommunity" (ation.5* Cultural Studies $M0$1B$2$$. 9eorge" (elson. $%L%. *Semiconsciousness.* The 3illage 3oice 0Guly $L1B @A.

(uruddin" Kusuf. $%%@. *The #ive PercentersB A Teenage (ation of 9ods and 3arths.* /n Kvonne Ka:beck >addad and Gane /dleman Smith" eds." Muslim Communities in (orth $merica" $M%2$AA. AlbanyB SU(K Press. Pimienta2+ey" GosS ?. $%%H. Some *'yths* of the 'oorish Science TempleB An Afrocentric >istorical Analysis. Ph.D. dissertation" Temple University. Potter" <ussell A. $%%H. S"ectacular 3ernaculars/ #i"4#o" and the Politics o! Postmodernism2 AlbanyB State University of (ew Kork Press. Prince2A2 uba" annotator and commentator. $%%M2 Master 5arad Muhammad/ 6%etroit #istory26 Te.t by 3.D. +eynon. (ewport (ews" ?a.B United +rothers P United Sisters ommunications Systems. 0<eprint of +eynon $%AL" with annotations1 RRRRRRR. $%%6. *+lack 9ods of the /nner ity.* -nosis Maga7ine 0#all1B H)2)A. <ashad" Adib 0Games 'iller1. $%%@. Eli8ah Muhammad and the Ideological 5oundation o! the (ation o! Islam2 >ampton" ?a.B U.+. P U.S. ommunications Systems. <eid" ?ernon. $%%A. *+rother from Another Planet.* 3ibe 0(ovember1B@H2@L. Sincere Allah 'erciful 9od. *=hy =e Are (ot 'uslims.* Posted on the #ive Percent >omepage" httpB88sunsite.unc.edu.nge. Tate" 9reg. $%%). *9NA8The 9enius.* (etnoir 0httpB88www.netnoir.com1. *=hat =e Teach.* Posted on the #ive Percent >omepage" httpB88metalab.unc.edu8nge8=hat.html. =ilson" Peter 4amborn. $%%A. Sacred %ri!t/ Essays on the Margins o! Islam2 San #ranciscoB ity 4ights +ooks. Recordings: +rand (ubian" In -od We Trust RRRRRRR 9ne 5or $ll Digable Planets" Blowout Comb RRRRR &eachin' :$ (ew &e!utation o! Time and S"ace; 3ric + and <akim" 5ollow the <eader RRRRRRRR Paid in 5ull The #ugees" The Source" $%%) 9ang Starr" Ste" in the $rena" hrysallis $%%M RRRRRRR (o More Mr2 (ice -uy RRRRRRR #ard to Earn The 9enius" Words 5rom the -enius 'ethod 'an" Tical" Def Gam $%%). (as" Illmatic RRRRRRR It Was Written ,l5 Dirty +astard" &eturn to the => Chambers/ The %irty 3ersion. 3lektra $%%H. Pete <ock and 4 Smooth" Mecca and the Soul Brother Poor <ighteous Teachers" Black Business. Profile <ecords" $%%A RRRRRRRR" #oly Intellect" =u Tang lan" Enter the Wu4Tang :=> Chambers;2 < A" $%%A.

Endnotes 0$1 The book manuscript is tentatively entitled" Sounds !rom the Inter7one. 061 (ot that *singing* the idhn is entirely unprecedented in the Arab world. <ecently" 4ebanese singers 'arcel Chalifeh and Sabah #akhry have come under attack for putting parts of the idhn to music. 0A1 See the cover of &olling Stone" September $H" $%%)" which features a photo of The #ugees" and reads" *Are the #ugees the #uture of <ock and <ollE* The cover article 0#oege $%%)1 makes no mention of the #ugees5 relationship to /slam. 0@1 The usually reliable #ive Percent homepage 0httpB88metalab.unc.edu8nge81 lists The #ugees as members of the (ation of 9ods and 3arth" but / have been unable to verify this claim. A rumor circulated on >iphop24 in 'ay and Gune $%%) that the #ugees5 4auryn >ill had stated" */5d rather have my children starve than white people buy my album"* and that over AM"MMM #ugees albums had been returned in response. The rumor seems to have had no foundation7 some claim it was started by a caller to >oward Stern. The rumor" however" may be connected to claims about the #ugees5 #ive Percent affiliation. /f #ugees are not in fact #ive Percenters" there a number of indications that they are very close to the #ive Percent (ation. #or instance" rapper =ise /ntelligent of the Poor <ighteous Teachers has performed with the #ugees in concert and the #ugees have also toured with the group Poor <ighteous Teachers 0>ost $%%).1 Poor <ighteous Teachers are one of the more doctrinaire #ive Percent rap groups. 0H1 Ama:ingly" this song also hit the Top Twenty in /srael. 0)1 According to an article in 3ibe" $%%@" Digables5 rapper 2Cnowledge 0a.k.a. Doodlebug1 " was reportedly once close to 0but not a member of1 the #ive Percent (ation. 3ven the name" Cnowledge" has an occult significance in #ive Percent teachings7 see below. 0&1 The ma-or academic e.ception is the work of Geffrey Decker 0$%%A1. 0L1 *+orn* means coming into mental e.istence through Allah5s 'athematics. *All Things go from Cnowledge to +orn =hen dealing with Cnowledge of Self...* 0Supreme 'athematics1. #or a discussion of *knowledge* and *mathematics"* see below. 0%1 'y own earlier work on rap is certainly susceptible to such a criticism7 see Swedenburg $%L% and $%%6. 0$M1 These lyrics from *Party for Kour <ight to #ight"* on It Takes $ (ation o! Millions 0$%LL1" P35s best and most2analy:ed album" are pure (ation of /slam ideologyB
0t was your so called go"ern$ent I T at $ade t is occur I ;i:e t e gra#ted de"ils t ey were...Mord #ro$ t e onorable 8li.a (u a$$ed I Lnow w o you are to be 9lac:... To t ose t at disagree it causes static I For t e original 9lac: Asiatic $an I Crea$ o# t e eart I And was ere #irst I And so$e de"ils pre"ent t is #ro$ being :nown I 9ut you c ec: out t e boo:s t ey own I 8"en $asons t ey :now it I 9ut re#use to s ow it, yo I 9ut it's pro"en and #act. *ublic 8ne$y's #irst albu$, >oG #umrush the <ho0 &13@1), contains t e song, !Kig tstarter &(essage To A 9lac: (an),! an in"ocation o# 8li.a (u a$$ad's #a$ous boo:, (essage To A 9lac: (an. !M ite (an's 2ea"en is a 9lac: (an's 2ell,! #ro$ /use-<ick-'-(our-/essage &133<), is a tribute to a calypso nu$ber o# t e sa$e na$e, recorded by ;ouis Farra: an as an +/0 ant e$ in t e late 1350's &;incoln 133<=10@). For ot er e)a$ples, see 6ec:er &133,=><). &11) For e)a$ple, Ti$ 9rennan &133<= >15) erroneously re#ers to t e Fi"e *ercent +ation as a !crew,! or production unit, co$parable to t e ;enc (ob &w o a"e wor:ed wit 0ce Cube) and t e 9o$b '4uad &*ublic 8ne$y). &1C) !6rop t e bo$b on t e Bacub crew,! 9rand +ubian, !6rop t e 9o$b! &1ne "or &ll). !T e pale#ace, de"il race, Caucasoid ger$ I 5ra#ted, #ro$ original, blac: $an's sper$ I T in%blooded wea:, gra#ted%brain pun: I Bour power's a t ird o# $ine, you drun: #un:y s:un:,! ' abbaP T e 6isciple, !6eat 9e T e *enalty.! &1,) T e origin o# t ese categories &5A, 10A, @5A) are (aster Farad's teac ingsF see ;ost Found (usli$ ;esson +o. C.

&1<) /n t e (asonic origins o# t e (ooris 'cience Te$ple, a direct predecessor o# t e +ation o# 0sla$, see Milson 133C= C>. &15) According to *rince%A%Cuba, !T e reported $oti"e D#or t e :illing o# Fat er Alla E wit in D+/0E Te$ple circles was DFarad'sE disse$ination o# t e ;essons Do# FaradE! &1330= 10). &1>) +ote t e #act t at !drop science! also sounds li:e !drop signs.! &11) Ga %H%Alla , Today's (at e$atics, April 1, 1335, posted on alt.rap, April 11, 1335. !0t's cal$ %% prepare, #or t e stor$, o# t e se"en,! ' abbaP T e 6isciple, !6eat 9e T e *enalty.! &1@) 5rand *uba said !2ow are you going to tell a ci"iliPed person ow to li"e! &see L. /rr post). &13) 'e"en, t e nu$ber o# per#ection, signi#ies 5od. /nly $en can attain t e le"el o# per#ection t at 1 signi#ies, w ereas wo$en can only ac ie"e >. &C0) 'pea:ing o# is girl#riend, 5 ost Face Liller &o# t e Mu) says, !Bea , 0 got a girl. Me li"e toget er n' s it, but 0'$ 5od, $an, and 5od gonna do w ate"a e gonna do, regardless. ' e gotta understand t at s it! &6ee Tee 133>= <0). &C1) 5eorge Clinton bla$es se)is$ in rap on t e #act t at Fi"e *ercenters bring !custo$s...#ro$ anot er DArabE culture! to t e traditional blac: !bitc , o! $entality, w ic by itsel#, was !.ust #un and ga$es.! (i)ed toget er, t ey produce $isogyny &Keid 133,= <>). &CC) T e initials o# t e albu$ are= A06'. &C,) 0ncidentally, $ost o# Lool and t e 5ang's $e$bers belong to t e +/0. &C<) 8lectronic Jrban Keport D8urQA#rinet.+etE, +o"e$ber C3, 1335. &C5) *osting to ip op%l, February C3, 133>, by grandbl:Qgro"e.u#l.edu. Mu Tang Clan a"e also recorded a song t at stresses t e dangers o# contracting 20R by not practicing sa#e se) &!TearP!, 8nter the 23 4ham,ers). &C>) For instance= !;i#e's a bitc and t en you die I T at's w y we get ig ! +as, !;i#e's A 9itc ! &0ll$atic) &C1) *osting to ip op%l, February C3, 133>, by doriandbQu$ic .edu. &C@) Bet Ti$ 9rennan dis$isses 6igable *lanets as t e !s a$elessly second%order sound o# radio% or candy%rap! &133<= >@C). &C3) *robably t e $ost o"ert re#erences to t e conte$porary (iddle 8ast are articulated by *ro#essor 5ri## and t e ;ost Asiatic 6isciples on %a0ns in the Game. 5ri## is an +/0 $e$ber. &,0) T e notion o# t e unity o# $an and 5od per aps as 'u#i origins as well. &,1) 8li.a (u a$$ad was also well%"ersed in and #re4uently 4uoted 9iblical scripture. T e (ooris 'cience Te$ple re"ol"es around Gesus, as t e pri$ary prop et and c ie# guide #or spiritual understanding &*i$ienta%9ey 1335=1@<). &,C) 9ut #or a elp#ul co$parison o# +ation o# 0sla$ and ort odo) (usli$ doctrine, written #ro$ a position o# ort odo)y, see 8l%A$in 1331. &,,) For a power#ul rap e)a$ple, *8's !Countdown to Ar$ageddon,! on It Takes & 'ation o" /illions. ttp=IIco$p.uar:.eduIStswedenI5per. t$l