Message To A Muslim Artist: The 5 W’s+1

Message to a Muslim Artist: The Five W’s +1

by Brother Dash

Singer. Poet. Rapper. Dancer. Sculptor. Photographer. Painter. Cartoonist. Comedian. Writer. Artist. Entertainer. Muslim. Black. Arab. Pakistani. Latina. Revolutionary. Pacifist. Feminist. Human.

We all have descriptors. We label who we are, what we do, where we are from and what we believe. The fact that we use these descriptors means that they are significant to us. They inform our identity. As such let’s have a working definition of the term Muslim Artist.

Muslim obviously refers to an adherent of the religion of Islam. When we talk about an artist we are referring to that individual who “creates art for a beneficial purpose”. Many commentators use this definition of an artist in contradistinction to someone who is a mere “entertainer”.  Entertainment is a form of creative expression but without an inherent sense of purpose. Entertainment is often mental and emotional recreation. As tempting as it is for me the debate over Art vs. Entertainment is a fascinating one but not within the scope of this article. Since this is to be a Message To A Muslim Artist let us lean more towards an artistic paradigm. To help with our discussion I have broken this article into six questions. What is the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How of navigating, understanding and flourishing in an artistic space?

Who?
Who Are You?
This seemingly simple question is perhaps the most challenging to answer as it demands honesty and introspection. If you carry this identity of a “Muslim” poet, singer, writer, etc that carries a certain weight. You are self-identifying in a society that already has definitions for Muslim and Artist. Certain expectations will apply. If you take on this descriptor, this identity, are you prepared for the responsibilities that come with it? None of the other questions will matter. Related to who you are is who you want to be as a PERSON? Why is this important? Because as an artist you are always looking for growth and development. Who are you going to grow into? This will play a critical role in informing your art.

What?
What informs and what is the purpose of your art?
Does your Art have a point or purpose? Are you a social commentator? Are you a spiritual motivator? Are you using your Art as a teaching tool? Is it a form of leisure like most literary fiction? Your art should have a purpose and you need to know what that purpose is especially as a Muslim. In Islamic belief one’s actions are inextricably tied to one’s intentions. What do you intend with your Art? You will be held to account…so start accounting now.

Part of knowing who you are and formulating an artistic purpose is looking at what actually “fills your vessel”. What INFORMS your Art. Are you filling your vessel with ingredients that will make for a nutritional meal or junk food? What themes, ideas, or perspectives go into your self-expression? Are you consumed with gossip TV shows? Do you look at the aesthetic in mainstream music and want to be a so-called “Rock god”?

What about actual talent?
Are you truly gifted? Have you studied your craft? Do you practice? Do you write?. I still practice spoken word in my home office. I always rehearse in my hotel room the weekend of a gig. This is part of the craft of an artist. What are you doing to get into a professional mindset even if you are not yet a “professional?” It’s okay to be an amateur. It’s not okay to be amateurish! One of the biggest problems with so-called “Muslim Entertainment” is the plethora of amateurs that think they are professionals and the organizers that treat them that way. Challenge yourself to get better or look at other areas that may be more suited to what you have to offer. Maybe your talents lie behind the camera, directing the stage, or holding the plume and writing a masterpiece. We all have skills…yours may be in another area.

What space are you in?
Popular culture, entertainment and performing arts are specific targets for the cultural politics of competing groups because they are very influential in people’s daily lives and lifestyles. Art and popular culture are vital in identity construction of individuals and communities. Art is a boundary marker between different cultures, subcultures and ethnicities. It can therefore be expected that in art and expressive culture different imaginations of identities, ideals and belongings compete.
-Karin Neuwkirk Journal of Contemporary Islam

Rappers need a stage. Poets need stages and pages, etc. Musicians need venues and distribution channels for their work. But in most cases artists don’t actually own their own space. No writer owns Barnes and Noble where she can just stock the shelves with her own novels. If we look at Muslim Art and Entertainment for example who owns this space? What gender dominates? What ethnicities dominate? What nationalities dominate? This is not to cry racism (though I can share a story or two). It is to make you aware of the role cultural familiarity plays in notions of what is “Islamic” or not. These facts will affect your very opportunities to share your Art.  For example organizers often equate nasheeds and qawwali with being “Islamic”. But in reality both are simply cultural expressions of devotional art. But what Black Muslim does Qawwali? How many Latino Muslims do Arabic nasheeds? If you are a Chicano Muslim sister that does devotional odes from your cultural reality then ‘what’ is your space? So you need to look at the reality of YOUR style of artistic expression. Are their spaces for YOU?

What About Women?
And  if you are a woman there are even additional gender dynamics that will either stifle your creativity or pressure it to go in directions you are uncomfortable with. Take Hip-Hop for example. What is the atmosphere of the rap world? Is it female friendly? Is talent or sexuality promoted? Are powerful, socially empowering lyrics promoted? And if you say you’ll stick with the Muslim Arts/Entertainment scene what is that reality? You will have organizers who have certain views on what is Islamically permissible for Women and/or what they think the community (i.e. their market) will bear. This is why you’ll find that most Muslim female performing artists “live” in the “world music” or “spiritual music” space instead. So as a woman these are the unique realities you need to ponder as well.

When?
‘When are you’ in the practical timeline?
Sales of CDs are ½ what they were 10 years ago. The record industry’s album based model has crumbled. With the advent of digital downloads you no longer have to spend $15 to get the 2 songs on the album that were worth anything anyway. You can just spend $2! So it won’t be about selling records and it also won’t be about “new voices”. Record companies don’t like taking chances with “different” and “out of the ordinary”. Few will take a chance on your “Art” especially when entertainment is what sells. So knowing “when” you are on the timeline will help to inform the practicalities of your Art. Also Performance Art is mostly youth oriented. That is another factor that will either be for or against you. Another genre such as literature or photography is much more forgiving of age.

Where?
Performing in “problematic” venues

As a poet I perform in many venues whether it’s for 25,000 at the ExCeL Centre in London, 500 at Yale University or 35 at a weekend deen intensive. These are all safe venues as far as the atmosphere goes for your spiritual equilibrium. But what about bars, pubs and clubs? What about these doubtful or perhaps even haram environments? If you are doing devotional artistic expression then be honest with yourself (remember how we began?).  How does a song about the Prophet Muhammad work in a pub? But you may now say to me. “But Brother Dash I am not doing devotional music per se I am doing “conscious” rap and “conscious” poetry.”  But I would retort by questioning how much “consciousness” there can be in an establishment whose purpose is for people to imbibe “un”consciousness? But again who do you want to be? What are your goals? If your goals are to be a performer period… then yeah…bars, pubs, clubs, strip clubs, whatever…you’ll perform anywhere and everywhere and you might just make it. Joe Jackson had 8 year old Michael and his Jackson brothers performing in strip clubs. They made it big. But if Islam informs your identity is that you?

Why?
Why do you want to be an artist? Why do you want to be IN FRONT OF PEOPLE? Why do you want the world to know your art or yourself?  Why do you do what you do? Some artists have told me that they are using their artistic expression to convey the message of Islam i.e. dawah? That is quite noble. And the intention is quite praiseworthy. If that is your reason then are you also looking at your artistic space? Who is your audience? If they are 99% Muslim then “dawah” may not be the right intention.  Or is it an excuse for the “who you are” part? Is what you are doing really for your own ego? Are you in Muslim entertainment because the audience is so uncritical and brotherly to almost a fault that they will support your amateur talent and even shower praise on you that no one else would? Is it because you could not get mainstream gigs? Be honest about the why. Why do you want to be involved in an activity that feeds the ego? Do you like people asking you for autographs. And if you do desire that then that should be an indication of “when” you are on your Islamic development timeline.

How?
So how do you go about expressing yourself creatively in a way that is within an Islamic framework? Well first you start with an understanding that most of the parameters are universal anyway. But what about risqué or borderline material that may have an artistically sound purpose? Muslim artists are Muslims too.  They have no special rules.  Art is not given a license to operate under an ends justifies the means paradigm. You may be in a genre that has its own mores antithetical to Islam but that may just mean you get creative.

The previous point reminds me of the issue of Muslims using profanity in rap and poetry today. In most cases the use of profanity is laziness or ignorance.  You could not come up with a creative use of language to express anger, frustration or displeasure. You could not use a proper adjective or a proper noun so you went with the lowest common denominator.  Is that how you want to craft your art?  In only some rare instances have I actually approved of profanity in art. A poet I know uses profanity but it is contextual and when you know his history somewhat appropriate. It was actually “art” to me. Again this is my opinion. Where I find no room however is in the area of obscenity. It is a violation of the relationship you have with the audience and the community. Honor that trust. Honor that relationship.

Conclusion
Allah says that he is Al-Jamil and loves that which is Jamilah. God is the ultimate beauty and he loves that which is beautiful. As an artist you are in a wonderful place. You have been given a God given talent. You cannot learn talent. You either have it or you don’t. You can grow your talent. You can hone your craft and you should. But your actual talent is born. Value what you have been given. Take it seriously.  If you know who you are, what your goals are, when you are on your personal development and artistic timeline, where you are in terms of community, business and genre, and why you express then all that’s left is how you go about doing it. And thus concludes my message, my message to you…the Muslim Artist.

Brother Dash
December 2009 (revised August 2010)
www.brotherdash.com