Islamic Themes in US Hip-Hop Culture

Anders Ackfeldt, PhD in History of Religions with specialisation in Islamic Studies from Lund University, is the Deputy Director of the Swedish Research Institute in Istanbul. His latest book, Islamic Themes in US Hip-Hop Culture, has been published by Edinburgh University Press in 2025.

• List of FiguresAcknowledgements1. Introduction: Signs, Symbols and Artefacts2. The Study of Religion and Hip-Hop3. Islam in African American Music-Making4. From Planet Rock to Indigoism5. Paid in Full: The Serendipity of Islamic Semiotics in Hip-Hop6. Sights and Sounds of Malcom X in US Hip-Hop7. America Under Attack! Depicting 9/11 In Hip-Hop8. Conclusion: The Semiotics of Islam, Creativity and Blurred LinesBibliographyIndex

Anders Ackfeldt’s timely intervention in the burgeoning field of Islam and hip-hop adds to the complexity of the subject matter, bringing to the fore both Muslim and non-Muslim voices to what he calls “Islamic themes” in American hip-hop. A must-read for all in the field of religion and popular culture!