Muslim Cool: Race, Religion, and Hip Hop in the United States

It seems these days most sociological studies of Muslim Americans focus on either South-East Asian Muslims or Arab Muslims. It seems American Black Muslims have largely been forgotten, even though they were one of the main drivers of civil rights in the 1960s and 1970s. This new book by Professor Khabeer helps to right that balance by looking at how American Black Muslims of Chicago define their identity in a world that does not always consider them Muslim or American. She examines the role that hip-hop plays in defining identity among the younger people of the Chicago area. She uses her time at a non-profit called IMAN, providing connections to artists and young people, and travels around other parts examining how identity is made.

This is a welcome addition of literature on this subject. Professor Khabeer does not use overly technical language in making her argument, and it is nice to get a perspective that is often not heard or has been lost among all the others. This book will greatly benefit students and professors.