alhamdulillah assalam alikum which is
greeting of peace peace be unto you
thank you for tuning in to another
episode of the dean show today we're
going to be talking about hip hop with
our guest Napoleon from The Outlaws
which was a group that was alongside
with Tupac Shakur so when we come back
we're going to be talking about hip hop
you don't want to go nowhere we'll be
right
back
Allah there's only one God and muhamad
is his messenger
Allah
Allah there's only one God and Jesus was
his messenger
Allah I don't know why I did that maybe
maybe it's just to break the eyam alikum
brother peace be unto you
peace be on back to you brother thank
you brother for being with us here again
on the dean show my pleasure man thanks
for having me my pleasure man now I
mentioned hip-hop and can you tell us
and Define what does hip-hop actually
mean hip-hop nowadays is very hard to
even Define it because every year come
up with something crazier but I know um
hip-hop started in the Bronx New York um
the whole rap thing where I'll recall
and remember when rap first started off
it was all about trying to help each
other get out of the struggles of in the
in the city and it started off with
everybody talking about we're going to
go back to the motherland in Africa and
we're going to help each other but now
hip hop is way far away from what it
started from the foundation of basically
positive and getting the people out of
the in the struggles of the inner city
right now hip hop from what we know is
all about how many how much guns you
shot how many people you murder how many
women you fornicated with disrespecting
women and disrespecting other people is
basically to the point where it's even
hard to Define hip-hop as far as my
concerned from what you just said here
this is the antithesis the opposite of
Islam the Islamic so this this is
something we want to talk about because
it's prevalent today that the youth and
just people in general they seem to like
this hip-hop so unfortunately man I
think one the shaan he beautified that
lifestyle where when a person turn on
the television they see these rers and
as look it look as if their life is just
full of Happiness they see them for a
five minute video bunch of cars Mansions
money but they don't get to see these
people behind the scene that most of the
people in the entertainment business
Unfortunately they are some of the most
unhappy people in the face of the Earth
even though their music videos might
display another um characteristic of
these people but these people they not
happy and I was one of these people it
was um it's like the people are
searching for something to drink
everybody's thirsty and most of the
people they turn to negative to quench
their thirst you know what I mean and I
was right along with these people yeah
you have your own sex on The Dean show
where we did a show about how you came
actually to Islam how you surrendered
yourself to the creator of the heavens
and the Earth yes not his creation
definitely living the way of life of all
the messengers of God including the last
and final messenger sent to mankind the
prophet Muhammad peace be upon all the
messengers definely so now tell us you
were hanging around you were a part of
the Outlaws sold how many 40 30 40
million records that sold 40 million
records worldwi 4 million record out
Outlaws
and Tupac he was someone who you said is
in the Guinness Book of World Records
for in the Guinness Book of World
Records for selling the most records out
of all rappers he sold over 60 million
60 million records worldwide and
majority of them records he sold after
he passed away yeah so now you're a
Muslim now musl alhamdulillah so now the
life that you're living is opposite of
what the hip-hop definitely people are
calling you to definitely hipop people
exactly most of the time hip-hop
unfortunately I wouldn't even truly
blame too much of the rappers the reason
why is because most of the rappers they
truly come from the ghettos so if you
come to a rap a individual who never
really seen probably $5,000 in his life
or $500 and you tell him I would give
you a contract for a million dollar I
will put $500,000 in your pocket but I
want you to talk about a certain type of
rap I want you to preach a certain type
of Lifestyle in your music most of the
people going to say look man if I got to
talk about killing my own brother for
that $500,000 that million dollars I'm
going to go ahead and do it so it's a
very it's a it's a the industry where
the people behind the scen is the ones
that's really calling the shots it get
to the point where the rappers if they
don't produce the album that the record
company telling them to produce they out
of a job you know what I mean so it's a
very tricky cycle it's a tricky cycle
about get mine get yours that's it
definitely it's all about get up out of
the ghetto most of the rappers they
never go back to the hood they make it
out and they forget about the people in
the hood so it's a very tricky cycle you
know what I mean even some of the
rappers when they get to a point when
they get tired of that type of lifestyle
that they preaching about in their music
is even hard because they in contract so
the record labels for example Prince you
remember the singer name Prince and this
is a reason why he used to walk around
with slave on his face because he he
basically exposed the industry and said
that the musicians are really slaves to
the record companies what did he do he
walked around he used to walk around and
put slave on his face he's to walk
around with slave written on his face
Prince the singer formerly known as
Prince I don't know his name now but
he's to speak he he talked about how
basically this is a recul this is an
industry that's is is um is designed to
put you in debt you put one record out
when you go get your money they would
say well you owe us millions and in
order to pay this Millions back you got
to give us another record but we need
this type of music so it's really hard
you know what I mean it's a cycle that
even some of the musicians don't even
know how to get out of it's kind of like
interest credit definitely definitely
the same people run interest run a
record label I'm sure you know what I
mean so this is again the opposite like
we as those who follow that way that way
of submission to God to the Creator we
want to be slaves to him exct but it
seems like if you run away from being
slave to the Creator you end up being a
slave to something in his creation and
that's you hit it on the nail man
basically you if if you're not a slave
to Allah you're going to be the slave to
something either your desires your money
um your jewelry your cars you're going
to have to be you're going to submit to
something you know what I mean so the
music industry is basically a called to
the opposite of what Islam called to
Islam called for one the respect of
women is Islam called to that we do not
oppress women you know before I became a
Muslim I used to oppress women and you
got people running around saying that
the Muslims we oppress our women I come
from a society man a background that I
did music oppressing the woman it wasn't
until I became a Muslim that you
actually see how woman supposed to be
treated so the music industry called to
the disrespect most of the lyrics is
about Sherk associate partners with
Allah it's about um like I mentioned
yesterday man I remember when I used to
write raps I used to literally try to
inspire to say the most evilest thing
that a person can hear I used to go to
write a rap and I used to say to myself
I want to say something so evil that the
people might think the Devil Himself
said these words and this is the type of
Industry that after a while it makes you
want to be the one that's the most in
everything the most craziest sell the
most wreckords the most disrespectful to
the woman it's a it's a competition
among the r and what Drive what's the
drive behind that what are you trying to
accomplish at the end of the day we'll
be right
back former bad boy gone good boy I ran
with an entrepr
man with icon in the music business how
he attained something that money
could short period of time the success
of the records that I did he left that
life wasn't a country that I couldn't go
to live this good life wasn't a country
that I couldn't go to the life that
brought him peace a person couldn't
identify with who I was or the songs
brothers and sisters get ready you're
watching the dean show take it away Edie
what are you waiting for what are we
waiting for right now what are you
waiting for all these people to come to
Islam what are we waiting for what are
we waiting for right now when they going
to come they're G to come Allah gonna
bring these people Allah subhana put in
our hand the ability to do it now do
your
job to be honest um even when I look
back at it I ask myself what was I'm
trying to accomplish you know what I
mean what was I'm thinking about I think
that it was just this is an industry for
the devil I really think that this is an
industry for the devil and it's is to
take people away from a remembrance of
Allah you know what I mean so at the end
of the day the most thing at the end of
the day is all about money it's all
about how much records you sell how much
money you make what about some people
that might argue and say you know what
this is an artistic way of expressing
oneself from kind of the lifestyle that
I used to live now well you got people
that might say that and um have you
heard that I heard that many of times
you got most of the people that you got
two groups of people that say that you
got the people that's the non-muslims
that say that where you got to um say
well maybe they don't have another way
maybe they think this is the only way
then you have the Muslim that say the
same thing where we should be ashamed
because we we get our guidance from the
Quran and the Sunnah and there's no way
in our religion that give us the the
authority to go ahead and use music to
spread Islam if anything the religion of
Islam calls against that you know what I
mean so I would say to the people that
there's other ways to to express
yourself you know what I mean because
most of the rappers if that's the excuse
that they're expressing the way they
live or the society they come from most
of them don't even go to the hood
anymore so while you still disrespecting
women to this day when you never been in
the hood you ain't been back to the hood
since you put a record out you know what
I mean so what is your excuse now so you
mentioned because a lot of the hip-hop
and a lot of the music nowadays is like
you said oppressing the woman yes and
talking about some of the most evil
things murder drugs drinking fornication
and obviously if you keep listening to
this you're going to want to act it out
exactly you're going to be a slave to
this type of stuff if if you listen to
this stuff and that's all you here like
you just said man eventually the youth
going to start thinking that this is the
way of life you know what I mean growing
up I remember that I thought that that
was the only way of life you know what I
mean so the best thing to do we know
that that's first of all it's a waste of
time you know what I mean waste of time
a waste of time to even sit and listen
to that stuff second of all especially
for the Muslim youth we should know that
this is we have something better than
music we have the Quran you know so if
you want to listen to something to
soothe your soul what better way to
soothe your soul than the Quran listen
listening to the Quran you know what I
mean so so tell
us Napoleon from The Outlaws former
member of The Outlaws that is
a group made up by Tupac Shakur yes
selling millions of Records living that
fast life the dream that some people are
trying to acquire where you got out of
it was it difficult was it difficult to
to leave this lifestyle no doubt about
it definitely definitely it was one of
the hardest things that I have to face
because all I knew was music you know
what I mean this is was this was my life
since I was a child this is the only
thing that I knew how to do I'm a high
school dropout so I drop out of high
school to go pursue my career in the
music industry and I started to make
money from this business so when I
became Muslim and I started to know and
read about and the brothers was bringing
me proof from the Quran and the Sunnah
that what I'm doing is wrong eventually
I had to get away from it and it was
very hard you know what I mean it was
hard because one I was getting the devil
would whisper to me and make me start
thinking well how I'm going to provide
for myself I'm a high school dropout
this is the only way I know how to make
my money second of all it was just very
hard because it was addictive lifestyle
so for me to walk away from something
that I thought was the only way of life
and to find out the way I was living was
wrong it was definitely hard it wasn't
easy how were you waking up in the
morning I I I know a lot of people who
just set their alarm clop and hip hop in
the morning in the afternoon you got to
burn your favorite CD and you're bumping
with the 12's in the car all day all
night yeah Subhan Allah that was life it
was my life literally music was my life
you know what I mean everything remol
revolved around music the way it was my
breakfast it was my lunch it was my
dinner so when I became Muslim it was
one of the things that I had to ask
myself okay this is the truth this is
the religion from the Creator the
heavens and earth this is falsehood on
this side this is music this is
falsehood which one what side do I
rather be on and I know at this point in
my life there was no doubt about it that
I knew what Allah says in the Quran was
the truth no doubt about it so it was
one of them things that I had to make a
decision you know tell us now because
some people who obviously are engrossed
in this they might say man you know what
this is a little extreme you know what's
wrong with music it makes me feel good
now let's rationalize this from just a
rational perspective for any person with
some common sense yes you can talk about
like the good things that Islam was
calling you to and the opposite of what
this music Hip Hop was calling you you
might hear some people that might say
it's extreme but one as a Muslim uh we
try to live our life to the best of our
ability according to what Allah and his
messenger tell us and the prophet
sallallah alaihi wasallam he said
anything that will bring us closer to
the or lead us to the Hellfire he warned
us against it and anything that guide us
to Paradise he told us about it how to
achieve it so for example let's talk
about it from a non-islamic point of
view perspective where you have
non-muslims that did a study on musical
instruments and even non-muslims
recently said that the musical
instruments affect the person body
physically they said that it's certain
musical sounds you can listen to that
can actually make your heart skip a beat
and you can catch a heart attack they
said there certain musical sounds that
you can listen to that can produce some
type of anger inside of you and they
said it's um certain musical sounds that
you can listen to that even lead to
depression and they said they said for
example a lot of the rock and roll that
type of music they did a study and
noticed that a lot of people that listen
to that music end up being suicide has
Suicidal Tendencies or they get
depressed so if Allah is in the
messenger told us over 1,400 years ago
to stay away from this then we know it's
only good for us it's not to harm us
is not to make our life hard I mean or
or difficult it's only to make it easy
for us you know and it's a true story
that they just did a study recently a
lady that catch seizure she falls out
and catch fits so when they play certain
sound certain music records for her
she's normal but every time she listen
to One Record She catches a seizure and
fall out so now the medical doctors the
doctors are saying that this is
something in the musical instrument
that's harming her physically to make
her fall out and catch a fit so we know
that the musical instruments um can
affect you in a way that in a negative
way you know what I mean then you got
some people that say well what about
some of the musical instruments that we
know like Beethoven and all these people
that you listen to and it make you feel
good we know that Allah says in the
Quran about alcohol he said that even
though you might find some benefit in it
but the the evil of Al drinking alcohol
outweighs the good so it's best to stay
away from it so you got some people that
might say well some good in it but they
know everybody know that the evil of
Music outweighs the good you not it's
too many it's too many stories where you
don't really hear incident where a
person say I listen to music today and
and actually really did something
positive because of listening to music
were the were the people now that you
are working for the owners of the record
labels do you did they really care for
the well-being of humanity of course not
man the main thing is about making some
money the main thing the people behind
the scenes They Don't Really Care what's
going on they as long as you're going to
sell some records you're going to bring
them some millions of billions of
dollars they don't care if you do a
record talking about killing your own
mother for instance Eminem came out with
a record he killed his mother in the
record buried her and everything in the
record and the Record La was producers
and promoted this type of stuff so it
let you know that they doesn't care
about the well-being of the the
musicians or the people that's listening
to the music that's crazy stuff yeah
it's a crazy industry and and people are
buying this and people buying it people
buying it his own mother tried to Sue
and because she she looked at it like it
wasn't entertainment she said how come
my son do record talking about killing
me and burying me but the record label
produ it and they promoted it so yeah so
obviously this is not going to happen
a good influence on our youth or even
definitely definely how about 50 cents
now you mentioned something about him
not drinking and not smoking mentioned
that he doesn't he doesn't smoke
marijuana you know what I mean he's
smart enough to know that this stuff is
bad for you and it to harm you but
unfortunately you got the youth that
they would listen to 50 cents and they
will actually try to go get high by
listening to his music and they will
actually go pack pack a gun if they
listen to a certain rapper one of the
thing that the kids need to know that
man this is entertainment these rappers
are putting out these records talking
about dry BS these people don't even go
back in the hood anymore 99% of them
don't even go to the hood they can't go
to the hood so it's an entertainment
that the kids they listen to these
people and it's it's something that they
have to use their common sense you know
you should tell yourself how come for
example 50 cents talking about all his
gangster stuff but he got the biggest
house on the east coast of America
actually obviously he's not in the hood
anymore you know what I mean so what's
your now suggestion I mean because
obviously this takes over a person's
life
I mean you just you got to get the
newest record that came out you got to
watch the you know the MTV videos of all
the rappers you maybe got his picture on
the wall I mean how can you what advice
can you give to somebody my advice is
basically man that we one don't take
these people as our role models and as
for the Muslim youth this is very this
is sad because we have role models from
the prophet sallallah wasam and his
sahabas these are the people we take as
our role models these are the people
that we should look up to and and and
want to be like and try to implement how
they live their life but you we
shouldn't look up to people that have no
guidance you know what I mean may Allah
guide these people to Islam these people
that when they want to go feel good they
have to get high and have to go get
drunk just to face reality of their life
when I was in the music industry man I
was afraid to be sober just because I
know that the way I was living my life
wasn't correct and most of these rappers
are the same way man they not happy so
why is our kids looking up to people
that doesn't don't have guidance you
know what I mean so it's very important
that the Muslim you they should know who
our role models are and we do have Role
Models you got the Muslim youth running
around saying that we don't have enough
role models we have Role Models just
because we don't see them on television
doesn't mean we don't have Role Models
the prophet sallallah alai wasallam is
the best example this is what Allah says
you know what I mean this is the best
example for us to follow inallah yeah so
now you're away from that lifestyle how
is your life now how do you feel my life
now alhamdulillah the best you know what
I mean never been more happier more
easygoing this is this is this is the
life you know what I mean this is the
true life when you follow the religion
that the Creator sent down to us life
become easy and even if it do get hard
we do remind oursel that look man I'm on
a religion of the creator of the heavens
and earth if it get hard so what I have
a chance to die and go to Jen in so
alhamdulillah now when you said
alhamdulillah for to all praise due to
God and so the people can understand who
are not Muslim and want praise due to
God tell us because some of the people
think that religion is something you
know it's for the monks it's for the
people who are kind of weird or
something it's not something that's you
know I got time maybe when I get 40 50
I'll turn my life around what do you
think about this thinking one that we
never know when we're going to die you
know what I mean every single one of us
have to taste death Allah says that in
the Quran that every soul shall taste
death and one Allah he is our creator he
knows what's best for us if he the one
who created us he know what life is best
best for us so he is so merciful that
Allah instead of just creating us
putting us on Earth and tell us to live
life the way we want to live life and
figure out how to be guided Allah is so
merciful that he sent us prophets and
messages to teach us how we should live
live our life and what better way what
better person or what better um way to
live our life according to the person
that created us he knows what's best for
us so we can never go wrong following
the religion of Allah following the
religion of the creator of the heavens
and earth so most people might think
that well following a religion only
going to basically shorten my I mean
shorten the happiness of my life but
that's a wrong understanding that's a
misunderstanding because you can never
go wrong following the way of life that
your creator legislated for you you know
what I mean now as one who has
consciously made the decision to submit
to the Creator not his creation yes
worshiping him alone not setting up any
Partners Sons daughters with the Creator
you got all sorts of weird things those
are the weird things and organized
religions organized by men we shouldn't
have to follow those but something
organized by the Creator let's submit to
it so now that you have done that yes
you submitted to the crater yes tell us
I mean for the Youth now who think that
way of life is cool I think this is the
coolest thing knowing your purpose in
life tell us like some of the things you
do do you still play ball do you still
like you know uh hang out with uh
friends I mean are you just locked up in
a room worshiping all day that's what
the people think man the people think
that the Muslims don't have no life yeah
but as a Muslim W he I swear to God that
my life became much easier more happier
and I seem like I have more stuff to do
now than I'm a Muslim so as many a
Muslim could basically live life the way
you was living life before and pretty
much um sense of that you can still play
basketball you can still go hang out
with your friends you can go swimming
you can go horseback riding you can do
so much stuff that's permissible in a
religion you know what I mean most
people think that as a Muslim all we do
is go into a dark room and just pray
pray that's that's the wrong
understanding of Islam yeah so so
instead of worshiping one of God's
Messengers Muhammad Jesus you're
worshiping the one who created them
worship the one who created them and
sent them to us definitely and and
instead of drinking alcohol you drink
fruit juice yeah I drink zamzam
water yeah yeah fruit juice you know and
you don't throw dice we don't throw dice
definitely no gambling No gambling no
gam we don't need that we don't need
that yeah it's only Harmony isn't it
definitely definitely and what what I
mean we trying to have them relate to
some of the goodness because it's only
in their nature if they honest with
themselves what's another thing I mean
you eat some good food right definitely
but you stay away from what best of food
we stay away from the pig
stay away from the pig and it's a small
amount of food that the Muslim stay away
from but other than that Allah
everything else he makes permissible
it's say like in this religion it's more
thing permissible than that's that's
permissible than impermissible you know
what I mean this is the religion that is
a vast religion it's a it's a way of
life a lot of people don't know that
Islam is a way of life everything we do
is pretty much worship you know what I
mean it's pretty much worship and
majority of the people like you said
earlier they think to get religious
their life will get boring but that's a
wrong understanding and I was the same
way I was afraid that now I don't drink
alcohol how can I have fun I can't go to
clubs how can I have fun and you be
surprised the the stuff that you can do
when you live your life according to the
way your creator legislated from you man
life just becomes so much fun so much
happier than living that type of life
that you think is happy which is only
temporary happiness only temporary only
temporary any time definitely definitely
now some people think like man I got to
give up you know the bacon I got to give
up that Hennessy I got to give up the
Jack and Coke I got give up uh
fornicating I'm losing my mind but can a
person now come in make that first step
exactly declare that there's only one
God I'm going to worship him alone
except that Muhammad is the last and
final messenger and then slowly some
people say you know I'll try to change
all this then I'll come to the way what
yeah that I think that that's a bad
understanding if they think because if
they think they should change then come
first cuz the only thing that's going to
actually change us is the religion of
Islam that's the medicine that's the
medicine right there and the most
important thing of this Rel that we
should worship our creator alone that's
what Allah called us to the most is that
you should give him his rights he
created us he provide for us all he
asking back from us is that we should
worship him alone that's the first step
a person should take that step first and
then later on they can work on their
life and they can work upon other things
but the first step that we should take
is to worship our Lord alone give him
his rights you know what I mean and
everything else come later you know what
I mean even the prophet sallallah
wasallam for the first 13 years he only
preached the Oneness of Allah he only
called the people people to Allah he
didn't it wasn't no verses of the Quran
revealed say stop drinking alcohol it
wasn't until 13 years later you know
what I mean what I found in my personal
life is the more I got to know who my
Creator is if you don't know him then
you're like why should I do these things
for him but when you get to know you
made some good analogies yesterday that
the Creator in one part of the world
he's making it shine in another part
it's raining and another part he's
feeding the fish down in the sea the
bird in the air wow that's amazing so
when you get to know your creator then
you want to do what he wants you you
want to give away from that stuff you
start feeling embarrassed you start
feeling embarrassed like wow look at all
the blessings Allah bestowed upon me and
he asking me to leave this for him and I
can't do it you know what I mean so we
can do it most people afraid because
they think they can't do it you know
what I mean that's another thing that if
you truly ask Allah to help you to get
rid of certain things or to get rid move
away from certain habits Allah inshallah
will make it easy you know what I mean
and you only I mean from there you die
in the right State and now you can be
Paradise that's forever forever ever man
in Paradise imagine that you know what I
mean where Subhan Allah forever that's
not worth you know taking something
that's so short you can die at any time
and bartering it for now wow for
eternity yeah who would do that nobody
in their right mind would basically take
something that's going to last for 30
minutes 5 minutes to give up a a way to
live in Paradise forever nobody would do
that in their right mind n can last
comments and suggestions for those now
that they are really in tune to what you
definitely what I would say man to the
people that's listening I I would say if
there's any non-muslims out there
listening man just take your time out
man it's not going to hurt you for you
to go pick up the English translation of
the Quran and read the biography of the
Prophet Muhammad and also for the
Muslims speaking to myself first that
it's about time that we return back to
our religion and according to the Quran
and the Sunnah man we go back to our
religion properly you know what I mean
because there's nothing else out there
you know yeah nothing else out there and
if you can do it a person who was making
a ton of money here and you sacrificed
all of that and gave it up for the
pleasure of your creator yeah there's
nothing better there nothing better I
think many of us out there who are
struggling with some small vices we can
give that up yeah try it man take try
Islam thank you brother thank a lot man
and thank you for tuning in to the dean
show we hope you got the benefit I mean
take the advice it's real simple ask the
one who created you to guide you and
then do some leg work you did some leg
work to get the best car didn't you or
to get the nice clothes you had to walk
to the mall you had to you know put some
effort behind it I mean do a little
effort and use your mind open your heart
and investigate investigate and ask the
one who created you to guide you to only
be fair if he did and come back here
every week to the Deens show.com we'll
see you again next time inshallah God
willing assalam alayum peace be unto you
it comes to you the truth and the
attribute of the one who created you
that he's one and alone running this
universe that he doesn't become I'm born
he doesn't die he doesn't eat then go to
the bathroom this is not God you got
problems here it doesn't make sense who
is Jesus worshiping because it's
recorded in the gospels despite all of
the other issues about the gospels we
put those aside we just say it's
mentioned there that Jesus worship
God
he created the
universe to him belong the heavens and
the
Earth the ever living He is the
first he's the owner of
Mercy he sent his
Messengers to all his
creatures of the Grave
dangers a worship in Allah than
Allah there is none
greator than the
Creator