‘Knowledge of Self’: How a Key Phrase From Islam Became a Pillar of Hip-Hop

Knowledge of self is an ethical pursuit of understanding one’s place in and relationship to the world to positively change it. When the concept was introduced in hip-hop by artists such as Eric B and Rakim, and others of the era, it was the perfect fusion event for the advancement of Black consciousness, resistance, and redemption in the community. In this article for The Conversation, Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, a U-M professor of American culture, explores Black Islam, a term to describe the different forms of Islamic belief and practice found in Black America.