Mos Def/Adlib - All Praises Due

For my first real post I thought I would toss up Mos Def and A.D.L.I.B.'s track "All Praises Due" which I first heard back in the fall of 2007 on Mos Def's Universal B-Boy Vol. 2. At the time I had been studying Islam, and found the song to be very poetic, reminding me of a modern day Rumi. The backing track is minimal, allowing the listener to pick out the lyrics easily, while the organ track touches on Gospel.

This song is a great example of Religion in music and society. Many Hip-hop musicians and lyricists cite Islam as a source of inspiration, some more legitimately than others. What I took away from the song was simple praise for Allah, "Allah makes the world get up and move." They are not recalling the life of Muhammad, nor going the route of the Nation of Islam that many other rappers discuss, but rather making simple positive statements about Allah and the true nature of reality. The song begins with a question "Is God in me?"

The lyrics move away from praise of Allah and into a discussion of social issues. "Eat most of their meals out of boxes and cans, casualties of cutbacks and social programs, dedicated to all those who rode slave ships, who screamed and cried to survive the ride, I know that my life is better 'cause you went through the time." Even when things are bleak, Allah is present. Some things are unexplainable, but for every evil in the world there is a good... the difference between the two is personal. Whether it is a good life or a bad life, it is still a life, and Allah put it in motion. "All good life regenerates...He put the wonder in the world, Let's Activate"

Welcome!

This is my first attempt at writing a blog. I figured I should start one because I frequently pass links and opinions around my circle of friends through facebook & e-mail, most of which are about music or religion (and occasionally both). So expect to see Articles and Thoughts about all the religions of the world and how they play into local society and in the context of the world community, as well as music reviews & downloads.