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Page 17 The Islamic Bulletin Issue 18
R app Artist Embracing I slam
Everlast: Taking Islam one day at a time
An interview by Adisa Banjoko
Rapp music has seen more than its share influence from the
religion of Islam. With groups such as Public Enemy rapping
about their respect for the Nation of Islam, to people such as Q-
Tipof ATribeCalledQuest embracingmainstream Islam, the re-ligion
seems to be a recurrent theme in the genre, both impacting lyrics
and lives. One artist more recently touched by Islam is Eric
Schrody, bet-ter known inmusic circles as Everlast.
While Everlast began his musical career as a rapp artist,
he has recently shown himself to have much greater depth
and diversity.
His current album, Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (currently ranked#49
on billboard’s charts after peaking at #9) exhibits this in its reflective
and somewhat philosophical tone, showing glimpses of the influence
Islam has had on his life.
What follows is an interview in which Everlast discusses his
journey to Islam and the challenges he faces as a new Muslim.
Tell me about the first time you learned about Islam?
It was probably around the late 80’s. I was hangin’ out with Divine Styler
(a popular Los Angeles rapp artist). He was basically at the end of his 5%
period (referring to the pseudo-Islamic “Nation of Gods and Earths” sect).
Hewas starting tocome into livedwiththeBashir family.Abdullah
Bashirwas sort of his teacher; andmine itwoundup later.Ashewasmaking
the transition from 5% into Islam I would just be around and hear things.
I’m trying to think of the first time I recognized it as Islam. I think it was
whenoneofDivine’s friends tookShahada (theMuslimprofessionof faith)
and I was there. I heard him say, “I bear witness that there is no God but
Allah, and Muhammad is the servant and messenger.” And I remember
me being like, “What is this? I’mwhite. Can I be here?” It was outta igno-
rance, you know? ‘Cause here in America, Islam is considered a “Black
thing.” And that’s when someone pointed out to me, “You have no idea
howmanywhiteMuslims there are in theworld.” I was like, “Really,” and
somebody broke it down. I said, “That’s crazy. I had no clue.”
Do you feel any extra pressure being a white Muslim in America?
I don’t think of it on the grand scale. To me, Islam is mine. Allah is the
God of all the worlds, and all mankind and all the Al-Amin (worlds/
universe). Islam is my personal relationship with God. So, nobody can
put any more pressure on me than I can put on myself. But as far as
the mosque where I pray, I have never felt more at home or more
welcome. And it’s not just mine. The few mosques that I’ve gone to
around the country, I’ve never ever been made to feel uncomfortable.
Like in New York, the mosque is big and there’s so many people that
nobody is lookin’ to notice you. There were Chines, Korean, Spanish -
everything, which was a good thing for me because at my mosque I’m
the only white male, [although] there are some white females.
I think at first, I thought about it more than anybody else the first
couple times I went to Jumma (the Friday congregational prayer).
The first time I went to Jumma, I was taken by a friend of mine in
New York. It was in Brooklyn in Bed-Stuy (Bedford Stuyvestant).
I was nervous about the neighborhood I was in, not the mosque.
But I was just so at ease once I was there. I was like, “This is great.”
I didn’t feel any different than anybody else in the mosque.
How did your family take your turning to Islam? Because you
were raised Catholic, right?
Well, you know my mom is very open minded, very progressive. My
mother lives with me. And I’ve been raised all my life with not a belief
in God, but a knowledge that he exists. I was taught [that] if [I were to
know] anything in the world, [I should] know there’s a God. And my
mom, even though shewas Catholic shewas the first person to point out
hypocrisy in the church. Mymom really hasn’t attended church in a long
time. But as far as me, my mom is just happy that I have God in my life.
She sees me making prayers. And Divine is one of her favorite people
in the world. She knows how much different we are than when she
first knew us as kids. When me and Divine first hooked up, we were
wild. We were out partyin’, fightin’, doin’ whatever we had to do.
We thought, “Yeah, that’s what being a man is about. We’re gonna
go out here and be thuggish.”
[But] she has seen howmuch it’s changed me and him; and howmuch
peace it’s brought me since I’ve started to really accomplish something
with it. I actually had a long talk with my mother the other day and we
were on the topic of religion. We were actually talking about life and
death, and the future and when she might go (die, pass away). That
won’t be for a long time, inshallah (God willing). But I asked her to do
me one favor. I said, “Mom, when you die there might be some angels
who ask you a question, and I want you to answer it; and I’m not sure
exactly how it goes, ‘cause I ain’t died yet. Remember that there’s only
one God, and he’s never been a man.” She said, “I know what you are
trying to tell me.” [And] I said, “Jesus wasn’t God, Ma”.
Some of what I know has definitely shown up in my mother. She’s
no Muslim, but she knows there’s only one God. And that makes
me very happy. I know guys that have turned towards Islam and
their families have turned them out (i.e. rejected them).
My family tried to. I just can’t understand that. But you know what?
That’s a trial. Although I’ve changed my name for like 8 years now,
they still run up calling me by my birth name. Then it’s, “Oh I forgot
that you’re Muslim.” Then it’s the pork jokes. It never stops.
It’s one of those things where people laugh at what they don’t
understand. Or they fear what they can’t grasp. The thing is that
nobody can pretend that they don’t understand it. Because I’ve
never come across anything more simple in my life.
Like I remember that when I sat down and asked, “So, what does a
Muslim believe,” and I got the list run down to me. I was like, “You
don’t put up the wall between Christianity and Judaism.” They were
like, “Nah, it’s all the same story.” continued on page 22