YRAC SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW- Mohammed Yahya, Spoken word Hip Hop Artist
By: Nadirah Angail
YRAC Editor/Journalist
Merriam-Webster defines the word “artist” as “one who professes and practices an imaginative art.” It should be defined as “Mohammed Yahya.” This Mozambican-born wordsmith pours his bold thoughts and opinions onto the page and wraps them up in infectious beats. Though he shies away from labels like Muslim rapper and conscious rapper (or anything that would put his music in a box) he is unmistakably Muslim and most definitely conscious of the messages he sends. Now residing in London, he’s taking his unique music wordwide.
Having to flee his home country at a young age showed Yahya, first hand, the effects of war. And though he’s been through something so traumatic, he still sees himself as blessed and uses his story as inspiration to help others. “Coming from a war torn country has made me feel like I have a duty , and to speak out against injustices that are being committed worldwide. I feel so blessed that I wasn’t one of the 1 million plus people that were killed in the Mozambican Civil War. I could have been one of those people who didn’t have a voice, or didn’t have anyone to speak on my behalf, but instead God blessed me with a talent, so I feel I should never take it for granted and always use it for a positive cause,” Yahya explained.
Not only does he use his music to affect positive change, but he is the president of Speech for Peace, an organization that seeks to promote social justice by breaking down the barriers that humans create. What started as community development work grew into a full-fledged organization whose purpose, he explains, is to “create positive movements that will inspire all communities towards constructive engagement between one another, exemplifying understanding and compassion in the work for social justice and human dignity beyond the barriers of religion, ethnicity, and nationality.” Yahya thrives on youth work and has “bringing people together” as a common goal in all his endeavors.
Take, for example, his interreligious rap duo, Lines of Faith, UK’s first-ever, Muslim-Jewish Hip Hop act. Along with his band mate, Daniel Silverstein, Yayha performs across Europe and America, promoting religious tolerance and understanding through collaborative music. “Our music is a fusion of Islamic and Jewish concepts, with jazz, Hip Hop, reggae, funk and elements of rock. The direction of the project is focused on bringing the ancient traditions of both faiths alive in a way that highlights the common ground of the two communities as well as all humanity, something that we feel is very necessary in the current climate.”
It’s obvious that Mohammed Yahya isn’t your average rapper. Not only does his music teach valuable lessons, but it is also an eclectic mix of the cultures and languages that have colored his life. Having lived in both Portugal and London, Yahya’s music is bursting with diversity. He takes from all that he’s experienced to create a new and refreshing sound:
“Living in Portugal has opened me up to a wide variety of music such as “Fado” and a lot of Brazilian music too, because in Brazil they also speak Portuguese. One of my favourite Portuguese singers is a female singer called Amelia Rodrigues, and my favourite Brazilian singer is Maria Betanhia, who is extremely poetic singer… There was always music being played in my household. My mother absolutely loved music and my father was a singer back in Mozambique, so I was introduced to African Music from a very early age. Growing up I listened to a lot of music from Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Congo and Latin music. I guess my sound is constantly developing and is influenced by all of this, from the political messages of the Brazilian singer Bezzera da Silva, to the poetic wordplay of Maria Betanhia, to the energy of the Mozambican Marrabenta.”
These rich influences have helped to form a multilingual (he speaks Portuguese, English, and some Spanish, Italian and French) force that is spreading beyond its British borders. He has worked with various artists and refuses to let naysayers stop his progression. He reminds those that down artists with a positive message that “there are many rappers worldwide who are positive and yet sustain themselves from their art form.” Though popular American Hip Hop is dominated by party music with shallow lyrics, British Hip Hop is different. Says Yahya, “The British Hip Hop I listen to has a very positive, strong political and social empowering messages. I think the sound is quite different, but as time goes by it’s starting to sound like a lot like Hip Hop from U.S….” No matter how similar most Hip Hop begins to sound, there will always be others like Yahya that have their own sound. These are the artists that he gravitates towards. “I love music coming out from West Africa, especially Mali and Senegal. Senegalese Hip Hop is great! Shout out to Magee from Nomadic Wax for introducing me to a world of African Hip Hop in general. I’m also feeling K’naan, Zion I, Brother Ali, and of course everyone I work with, such as Poetic Pilgrimage, Masikah, Sound Species, Big Samir and The Reminders, Fidel, and many more.”
In the years that Yahya has been performing professionally, he’s faced many challenges as an independent artist and has continually turned to Allah for help and guidance. He has created a delicate balance between his career and his personal life, and appreciates the fact that his wife, who is also a musician, understands the sacrifices of being a full time artist. Along with the challenges have been triumphs that consistently remind him of how blessed he truly is. After fleeing his native country of Mozambique in his early years, he was able to perform there and reconnecting with his people. Mohammed Yahya is constantly reaching new heights as he “contribute[s] towards this universal musical movement that human beings have been working on for centuries.”
To hear some of Mohammed Yahya’s music, visit his myspace page and youtube channel
Copyright© 2009
On My Constant Battle With Doubt
By: Nadirah Angail
YRAC Editor/Journalist
I think I’m a pretty agreeable person, so I don’t have any enemies. Well, there is this one woman, but I don’t know if she counts. She’s cool most of the time, but sometimes tries to fight and discourage me from whatever it is I’m trying to do. I guess you could call her a hater, but I think Doubter would be a better title. Yes, Doubter is definitely a better title. I should know, because the woman is me. As weird as it may sound, I am my own enemy.
Doubter isn’t always around. A lot of times she is nowhere to be found. But, when I start to make plans—big plans, things I’d like to accomplish— she shows up every time. She marches up, full of “what ifs” and contingencies, and whittles away at my self esteem. Sometimes, I can ignore her, but other times she becomes a full-on bully, blackening the eyes of all my dreams.
Doubter gets around. I’m sure she’s bullied more than a few of us. She spends her days belittling dreams, crushing hopes and stealing lunch money (intellectual lunch money, that is). This scrapper has got a lot of “wins” under her belt, but she’s also got some “loses.” And the secret of those that defeat her is simple: they don’t listen to her taunts.
Just like the Rejected One, she has no power other than that which we give her. So, despite her menacing appearance, she’s harmless at the root. She only becomes powerful when we ingest her lies. She tells us we’re not ______ enough, and we believe her. She tells us we can’t do it, and we believe her. She tells us all kinds of destructive, untrue things that we willingly take into ourselves as truth. This is her strategy. This is how she’s developed her reputation as the fierce fighter she appears to be.
I’ve wasted enough time and opportunity listening to doubt. As wonderful as I am, I’ve agree to the tale that I am not enough. As intelligent as you are, you’ve agreed to the tale that your ideas are not enough. As magnificent and worthy as we all are, we’ve agreed to downgrade ourselves to lower ranks. Our strike is only as powerful as the energy that propels it. Doubt steals that energy, weakens our blow, all in the name of regression. The constant growth of life is inhibited when doubt is indulged. And who am I to prevent my own growth?
Copyright© 2009
YRAC SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW- Hardcore Detroit: Bringing a Street Dance to a Professional Atmosphere
By: Nadirah Angail
YRAC Editor/Journalist
Detroit Michigan, home of Ford Motor Company, Motown Records and… B-boying? That’s right, B-Boying. It may not have started there, but it’s definitely found a home in this northern city, thanks to Hardcore Detroit.
Don’t know what Hardcore Detroit is? Picture this: a crew of 25, highly-skilled men and women performing some of the hardest and most entertaining break dancing moves you’ve ever seen. And behind it all is a beautiful, Muslim Couple.
Meet Haleem Rasul, the captain of this dynamic dance crew. He’s a passionate young B-Boy who took his love for Hip Hop and turned it into a thriving business. Inspired by the Detroit-based dance show The Scene and a close family member, Haleem (aka Stringz) began to dance as a teen. He had fun as a recreational dancer for some years, and finally began to take it seriously his junior year of high school. Throughout the 1990’s, he danced and networked with other local and national B-Boys, unknowingly preparing himself for the great task he’d later accomplish. “Growing up, I never saw myself as a leader. I see this all as a blessing. I assumed I’d graduate and work for a company, but the Most High put me in certain positions where I found myself tackling certain things,” said Stringz of his accomplishments.
Fast forward to 2001. Haleem used his technical dancing skills, network of dancers, and business knowledge to officially create Hardcore Detroit. With a set of worthy dancers (there’s no getting in this crew unless you battle your way in) he set out to “balance a street type dance with a professional atmosphere.” He traveled to near and far places like Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and even Sweden, exchanging moves and knowledge with some of the best.
Within a few short years, they had managed to put Detroit on the map and establish themselves as the premiere dance crew in the city. Now, Hardcore Detroit is well known in the Hip Hop world. “We’ve made such a presence that nobody in the world can take our name,” Stringz explained about their reputation. And it’s a good thing he’s done this, because others have tried to take the name “Hardcore Detroit” and use it as their own. Luckily, Haleem was smart and popular enough to stop their efforts. While his supports kindly informed the other Hardcore Detroit that the name was already taken, he trademarked the name for his business and shut down the possibility of ever being robbed again.
Hardcore Detroit is more than just a name. It is a description of who they are and what they’re about. “I wanted to change the idea of the word “hardcore.” Make people think positively about it. It’s Edgy. It’s serious. It’s hard…This is what makes us stand out from the rest, because we know the true essence of B-Boying,” said Stringz, who is just as knowledgeable about B-Boy history as he is the dance moves.
With a solid reputation and list of accomplishments under his belt (including performing for the Detroit Institute of the Arts) Stringz was sitting on top of the world. He was the king of Detroit B-Boying. All he needed was a queen…
Enter Mary Mar (aka B-Girl Ma Ma), the First Lady of Hardcore Detroit. They met on the dance floor and have been together ever since. Ma Ma is a born dancer. Even at the early age of 5, she had already found her love for movement; but it wasn’t until she was older that she entered the world of B-Girling.
It started with a simple question: “Is this your break dancing gang?” a naïve Mary asked a group of intriguing breakers.
“It’s not called a gang. It’s a crew,” they informed her. That was her first lesson 8 years ago. She went on to learn many more important lessons about the beautiful culture of Hip Hop, which she feels has been misrepresented by main stream media. “MTV is brainwashing us. Hip Hop is not about booty popping! It’s about bringing people together,” she exclaimed. And that’s what she and her husband strive to do, bring people together in an effort to spread and preserve true Hip Hop.
“A lot of people call themselves B-Boys, but aren’t representing for real Hip Hop, not true to the culture… How are you gonna say you’re a B-Boy and you don’t like Hip Hop music?” This is the problem that Ma Ma has with some B-Boys and B-Girls who want to do the moves without knowing the true technique or the 4 elements of Hip Hop, which are graffiti, djaying, emceeing, and breaking.
It is hard enough being a B-Girl in a world full of B-boys (Ma Ma is 1 of only 2 B-Girls in Detroit) but being a Muslim B-Girl puts her in a special rank all her own. She faces criticism from those who disapprove of a Muslim woman dancing in mixed company. She admits that she tried to stop dancing when she reverted to Islam in 2006, but couldn’t keep herself away from something she loves so much.
“It’s something I still struggle with, but there is a double standard for men and women. No one says anything about men dancing in front of women…Allah (swt) knows my intentions. I’m not dancing to be sexy or to attract men,” she clarified. And this is evident in her style of dress. Though other B-Girls have been known to wear tight-fitting, revealing clothes, Ma Ma breaks in pants, long sleeve shirts, and scarves. “My dress is pretty much the same. I’ve always been modest… I like it better this way, because I used to have a problem with strange men touching my hair.”
It wasn’t just her husband that attracted her to Islam. It was the message of Allah’s oneness. Raised as a Buddhist, she was already familiar with this concept. “Traditionally, Buddhism is about following the teachings of Buddha, not about worshipping many deities.” Now, she’s more patient and feels she owes that to Islam. She advises anyone who is considering Islam to “study and do you. If you feel Islam in your heart, then He’s telling you something.” Be sure to listen.
Some relationship experts consider working with your spouse a bad idea, but Haleem and Mary prove them wrong every day. In marriage, spirituality and business, they are partners, and its working out perfectly. “I consider the fact that we work together a benefit. We’re a dynamic duo. He’s my best friend.”
Copyright© 2009
