Goldmouf Talks Being Muslim In Hip-Hop

Throughout the years, many rappers have identified as Muslim while navigating the balance between music and faith.

During Ramadan, rapper Goldmouf spoke with Hip-Hop Wired about how Islam shapes both his life and career. The Georgia rapper has been making music for most of his life, but he is also a practicing Muslim who takes his faith seriously.

Diving into his Islamic beliefs and how he reconciles them with his artistry, Goldmouf explained that he intentionally keeps the two separate. Born and raised Muslim, he is clear about where he draws the line:

“As you know, in Islam, music is haram (prohibited), especially the type of secular music we make. What I learned is that I don’t mix the word of Islam with music. I see a lot of brothers out here trying to mix it, I don’t do that because we’re not supposed to be doing music. When we find ourselves doing the haram already, I’m not about to mix the two.”

He also acknowledged that one of the biggest challenges practicing Muslims in Hip-Hop face is the lifestyle that often comes with the industry. The nightlife, alcohol, drugs, and women can easily distract someone from their deen (faith), especially when fame and money are involved.

Still, Goldmouf believes discipline and intention make all the difference. The Muslim rapper offered advice to young artists trying to balance their beliefs with their passion for music:

“My advice to the young would be put the deen (faith) first, don’t put the money first, don’t put the women first, the materialistic things, put the deen of Islam first. Once you put Allah first, everything else will fall in place, because Allah ain’t gon’ let you miss no opportunities that would gain you access to heaven.”

For Goldmouf, faith isn’t a brand, it’s a foundation.

Check out Hip-Hop Wired’s full conversation with Goldmouf below.