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Native Deen

Native Deen From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Native Deen

Performing in Ramallah school, 2007 Background information Origin Washington, DC Genres Rap, R&B Labels Jamal Records Website NativeDeen.com Members Joshua Salaam Naeem Muhammad Abdul-Malik Ahmad Native Deen are a Muslim musical group from the United States.

Contents [hide] 1 Members 2 Background 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Members They consist of three young African American Muslim men who were born and raised in United States of America. Joshua Salaam, Naeem Muhammad, and Abdul-Malik Ahmad who grew up in Washington, DC. Their music seeks to inspire young people to keep their Islamic faith amid the pressures and temptations of daily life.

[edit] Background "Deen" in Arabic means religion or way of life. The group identifies themselves as Muslim, and wear traditional Islamic dress such as kufis and shalwar kameez. Of course, they say there is more than one way to identify as a Muslim, both by etiquette and dress. Their music is hip-hop style, with lyrics on Islam and several of their songs focus on living as a Muslim in America amidst pressures and temptations.[1] Their music typifies the subgenre "positive hip-hop".[2]

At the third annual Islamic Relief "Evening of Inspiration", in Costa Mesa, California, Muhammad narrated a powerful slideshow, projecting images of needy, hungry children from around the world to illustrate why Islam demands that Muslims give to the less fortunate. He said of Islamic Relief

[It] helps the most vulnerable people from all walks of life. People don't understand how much a dollar can do. That's why this event is more than just a concert – it's a call to action[3].

Native Deen perform at Islamic conferences, fundraisers, weddings, and holiday gatherings (usually in Ramadan and Eid-ul-Adha). They are relatively well known among the North American Muslim youth, and have toured internationally[1].

Many Muslims believe that string and wind instruments should be avoided in Islam. In order to please the widest audience, the group does not use any string or wind instruments in their music. The main instruments are drums, synthesized percussion instruments, and vocals.[1] Some of their more popular songs and raps include Intentions and Paradise.

Native Deen came about through M.Y.N.A. or Muslim Youth of North America. The project was a gathering of amateur recording artists who've written their own work and MYNA featured these artists on the MYNA RAPs' album. Three of the artists from these albums, Joshua Salaam, Abdul Mailk Ahmad, and Naeem Muhammad, who were all solo, started a group where they could do this professionally, and the result was Native Deen[1]. Their music is produced under the "Mountain of Light" label, which was founded by Yusuf Islam (previously known as Cat Stevens).

Native Deen's latest album includes the track Still Strong, featuring Isam Bachiri of Outlandish. In support of this album, they recently toured Australia performing at the Sounds of Light Concert in Melbourne, Sydney, and Queensland.

[edit] See also Todd Snare Soldiers of Allah Fun Da Mental DAM (band) Mecca2Medina Outlandish Yusuf Islam Zain Bhikha Debu Sami Yusuf [edit] References ^ a b c d Native Deen's Muslim Rap, by Phyllis McIntosh, at usinfo.state.gov ^ Music college joins effort to influence rap, by Adrienne P. Samuels, The Boston Globe, 2/3/06 ^ Evening inspires hope through music diversity, by Shahla Khan, Southern California InFocus, August 2008 [edit] External links Preview Native Deen's New Album 'Not Afraid to Stand Alone' Native Deen Website Native Deen's Debut Music Video Native Deen Photos Nasheeds.com - Muslim Songs and more... Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Deen"

Joshua Salaam Joshua Salaam was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1973. He was raised by a single and devoted mother and has lived in a number of U.S. cities including Kansas City, Missouri, Lombard, Illinois, and Indianapolis, Indiana as his mother worked for a number of Islamic organizations. He currently resides in the Washington D.C. area. Joshua began writing and performing at the early age of 10 at youth camps as a member of MSU (Muslims Steppin Up). By the age of 12, he was a member of and entertaining hundreds of participants of a national Muslim youth group called MYNA or Muslim Youth of North America. These entertainment sessions led Joshua to be on the very first MYNA Raps album in 1992.

A year later, he co-founded a group called Sonz of the Crescent where he recorded and debut the album What's the Word. In 1998, he had yet another opportunity to work on a collaborative project with many up-and-coming Muslim Rap Artists through a series of albums produced by MYNA Raps leading him to cross paths with a creative songwriter and producer named Abdul-Malik Ahmad. Later on Abdul-Malik, Naeem and himself joined together to form Native Deen. Since then he has toured the U.S. and the world with Native Deen. Not only is Joshua a lyrical genius behind the Mic, combining hardcore, no-nonsense lyrics with old-school Hip-hop, but he is also a talented Conga player in his own right, drumming out beats to compliment his fellow artists. He is an entertainer-at-heart as his fans will bear witness to his numerous stage antics that have them on their feet and often doubled-over from laughter! When Josh is not in the studio or touring with Native Deen, he enjoys teaching and spending time with his two young sons, Musa and Haroon.

Hobbies and Interests:

Helping with Youth and Community out-reach programs Playing and coaching in Muslim Basketball/Football leagues Writing songs and raps that will inspire Muslims and give da'wah to the world

Abdul-Malik Ahmad was born in Connecticut in 1975 but spent most of his life in the Washington, D.C. area where he currently resides with his wife and daughter. He was privately educated until his senior year, after which he attended Georgetown University. During that time, he was heavily involved in writing and producing the music for a series of albums that were produced under MYNA Raps. At the same time, Abdul-Malik was able to visit the Middle East and become fluent in the Arabic language and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arabic from Georgetown University.

He has let his bilingual tongue flow with his musical pen. Abdul Malik's writing talent is such that one listens enthralled at the merging of the two worlds in which he lives, East and West, Muslim and non-Muslim, and which he brings together seamlessly in his music. He transports the listener from the past to the future and back to the present without effort, transcending even time and space. His songs and rhymes are evidence of his passion for a better society as he masterfully writes about many issues that affect non-Muslims and Muslims alike. His ability to capture an audience like a master story teller with his songs and to produce ear-catching rhythms and sounds in the studio with limited instrumentality has put him in the top tier of Muslim Artists. This talented songwriter, producer, and musician is also a devoted husband and father, who believes in building strong family and community ties.

Hobbies and Interests:

Helping with programs that uplift Youth and bring them to a stronger awareness of Islam and how to live an Islamic life while still living and being involved in their society Instructing Youth in Pencak Silat, an Indonesian Muslim Martial Arts in which he has achieved a level equal to a second-degree black belt Graphic designing and web development through his company Kufic Graphics, a multimedia company Working with state of the art sound engineering software to create songs and musical accompaniment as Audio Producer for Native Deen

Naeem Muhammad was born on June 25, 1975 and grew up on the mean streets of inner city Baltimore (Maryland). He was the third of seven children and his mother's first child born and raised as a Muslim. ?Naeem possesses a deep love and a flare for art stemming from his father who was a painter and his mother who attended art classes with baby Naeem in a carrier. He has many fond memories of attending countless art festivals, live music performances, and African cultural events as a child which inspired him to express himself artistically instead of getting caught up in the streets. His mother, however, wanted to nurture more than just his cultural and artistic development, so she enrolled Naeem into the Islamic Community School of Baltimore, a private Muslim parochial school, hoping to plant the seeds of faith deep within his soul.

From fifth grade until graduation, Naeem spent these formative years in Islamic education and community activism. He has been involved with Muslim youth and community work since the age of 13, working with various organizations such as Muslim Youth Council of D.C., AMC (American Muslim Council) and MYNA, where he befriended Abdul Malik and became acquainted with Joshua. He graduated from the Islamic Community School of Baltimore and went on to attend Towson University in Maryland. It was while at college that he formed a Hip-hop group called North Star which started to collaborate with MYNA Raps. Naeem has written and performed a number of songs for the MYNA Raps album series and has had songs featured in the soundtrack by Astrolabe Pictures for their animated movie entitled The Boy and the King.

Naeem's blend of heart-wrenching melodies and thought-provoking Hip-Hop rhymes coupled with his distinctive strong voice have made him stand out as a unique artist. His lyrics are a testament to his artistic and organic heritage as he sings and flows about spirituality, soul-searching, family, humanity, politics, environment, and everything in between. His passion for educating and uplifting through music is nowhere more evident than onstage where he brings unparalleled Energy, connecting with the audience and commanding their attention. Although Naeem has many fans the world over, his biggest fans are his four baby girls, who live with him in Charles Village, Maryland, along with his wife.

Hobbies and Interests:

Working with relief agencies to assist victims suffering from poverty and natural disasters throughout the world Snowboarding and Skateboarding (He also assisted in a Muslim snowboarding documentary) Singing/song-writing/performing, pouring his eclectic collection of life experiences into his music and live stage performances