Discursive Construction of African-American Identities and Spirituality: A Comparison of Muslim Hip Hop and 1960s Jazz Avant-Garde

Abstract

This article analyzes the discourse of social change and African-American spirituality and how these have become intertwined with music as discursive vehicles for identity construction. We first focus on Muslimhiphop.com, a website which features several African-American Muslim artists. Second, we relate the above to the jazz avant-garde of the early 1960s. Islamic hip hop can be considered an alternative to mainstream hip hop and a medium for negotiating a Muslim identity and embracing social change. Similarly, free jazz expression once supported African-American society in establishing its status, beliefs, and rights.