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Many people talk about the music that moves them, but for Ismael Lea South, music fundamentally changed the way he lived his life.
Born in Willesden, north west London, in May 1973, the youth work consultant was exposed to hip-hop music at an early age while studying at South Kilburn High School.
“Our school had a huge African and Afro-Caribbean heritage. ‘, he told BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme.
While he initially admitted to simply “nodding his head to the beat,” he soon began to notice more about what his favorite artists were saying.
“This was a time when many rappers were using Arabic phrases, saying things like ‘Inshallah’ because they weren’t necessarily Muslim. [meaning God-willing].”
He also began paying more attention to acts that had depth in their music.
“There are going to be some rappers rapping about starting to look a little deeper into life, and they’re going to rap about spirituality,” explains Ismael.
An example he gives is the 1987 hip-hop classic Paid In Full by Eric B & Rakim, in which Rakim said, “I used to say I used to be a bit of a naughty boy, but I learned that wasn’t how I lived. , Now I want to live. From nine to five ”.
“I used to wonder why he changed the score to 9 to 5. He mentioned Islamic words, which made me think,” he says.
Ishmael’s next big moment came when a friend invited him to Speaker’s Corner in central London, where rap group Cash Crew was performing on tour.
“So we went to Hyde Park Corner not knowing what Hyde Park Corner was. I was fascinated. Christians, Muslims, Jews, socialists, agnostics I saw them arguing with each other and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this place is great.
While there, he also met another speaker called Muhammad Khaja who would have a great influence on his future.
“He was Afro-Caribbean of the same descent as me, wore Muslim-African attire, and when he spoke and debated, no one could compete with him.
“I started asking him about Islam. I said, ‘There are some things about Islam that I don’t really agree with.’ He confided in it,” he says.
Six months later, Ismael received a call from a friend who recommended that he visit a mosque. While there he ran into Muhammad Khaja again.
“He said, ‘Hello, do you remember me? I want to talk more about Islam.’ Then I started learning from there.”
At first he was skeptical about becoming a Muslim, but he wanted to have fun while he was young, but in the end he decided that he was ready to convert.
“And that’s how I embraced Islam.”
However, while hip-hop helped him become a Muslim, it still took some time for his Christian family to accept this new life.
“When I accepted Islam, I stopped drinking, eating pork, and going out to parties. My family thought I was crazy,” he said. says.
“But when I calmed down and told my mom I wanted to get married, I heard her say, ‘Oh, okay.
“That sort of thing won her.”
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