I touched on this a bit in the past but I think it’s p interesting to talk about it. TBC I know there were exceptions it’s just the title man.

TLDR: In many cases, the socially conscious rap movements of the 90s were increidbly race- and identity-focused, grounded in religious/spiritual belief, not in broader humanitarian philosophy. Which is not to say they didn’t also have both, but an overlooked nuance I think is cool. These ideas WERE inherently religious, despite not being presented or perceived that way at times, certainly in the modern day. It’s an entire ideology with social underpinnings you can’t really remove without sacrificing the picture.

This isn’t to co sign these religions either mind you, it’s just that it’s essential nuance- It’s viewed as if they were like some merely humanitarian smart guys who read news articles While in reality at least some of it in actuality was tied to a religious belief. It shows a depth and accuracy to its intention, not discreditstion.

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Everyone knows Nation of Islam and all, however a nuance to when we discuss the Aesthetics, content, and motive in a lot of hip-hop history esp the 80/90s, people forget the religious cause from the Nation of Islam, 5%’ers nuwuabians

I wouldn’t define a couple of these people music at the time as “socially conscious” in a pure, ideological sense.

They were rooted in social consciousness insofar as it relates specifically to and pretty much solely to race in American But the reason for that isn’t first because they thought that it was purely a politically good on its own, most of them came from specific black religious movements So for them they’re primarily interested in that as a religious truth first not a humanitarian truth.

Brand Nubian, Rakim, GZA, Raekwon, Big Daddy Kane, A, J-Live, Killah Priest, Talib Kweli - 5%er’s

for 5%ers it’s much easier to make things spiritual and collective and less hierarchical and focus on social matters to black people wider especially if you can lowk mask a lot of it with symbolism and mysticism, making them much more popular in this time. Sidenote, why u think rakim called himself The God?

Busta rhymes , ice cube, mos def, Jay Electronica - Nation Of Islam, Louis Farrakhan

Many rappers went in a 5%er direction rather than greater NOI due to their teaching that blackness collectively and individually is God and they’re much more spiritual and have a lot more symbolism and mysticism

The coming, when disaster strikes, extinction level event, Anarchy

Busta rhymes became more explicit with this later on, but his themes of spirituality, mysticism, and the motif of the end time/world ending was deeply tied to his Nation of Islam teachings.

Jungle brothers, kool g rap, Nas, De La Soul, Camron, Jay Z, Lupe Fiasco - it’s influence and adoption

In New York especially, it was so commonplace even rappers that weren’t necessarily implied to be committed per se to the 5%ers, they adopted a lot of beliefs atleast in part. Jungle brothers kinda syncretic in that sense. Nas has stated how he was influenced by the nuwuabians in youth aswell. Camron and dipset frequently referenced supreme mathematics, Lupe heavily incorporated 5%er themes and was Muslim I debated putting him in the other, Hov used 5%er terminology all over blueprint. Common, Camron, De La, and Hov certainly made incredibly secular music though. Nas “converted to Islam at a young age” so not sure about him.

Jedi mind tricks, KMD/MF DOOM - nuwuabian Nation

I know yall know about the dark sides of what happened here no need to go there but Nuwuabian influence birthed a whole underground Label of Nu Wop, due to their unique take on mysticism, imagery such as the fez, Star of David ankh combination esoteric imagery, ancient Egyptian mythology and extraterrestrial lore. DOOM attended nuwuabian events and defended the leader on Facebook, Jedi mind tricks frequently worked with nu woo artists like lost children of Babylon and their themes, symbols and imagery were frequently integrated, people like Nas saying they were the biggest influence on his knowledge.

You also have the BHIs and the Moorish Science Temple, and like countless others.

Beyond that, emancipation and liberation has historically consistently been a source of religious inspiration. See the Exodus & Judaism.

Would add more for a conclusion but too much text

Holy yap incoming 1 page thread max

the god crack kim allah

i wonder if that whole memphis devil worshipping thing came about in parts out rebellion to new yorks god worship

@op how many r’s are in the word strawberry

Probably more to do with Deep South Bible Belt up bringing than up north rap.

I’d argue a lot of them niggas down south had no idea what a supreme mathematics was

yeah true

I think it was moreso in contrast to the “bible belt” culture. the fact that memphis was one of the most violent cities in the country during the 90s and that three 6 mafia were big fans of horror movies

Disclaimer: none of this cosigns the obv homophobia that religious sects of thought like the 5 Percenters would spew. Tribe Called Quest’s label literally saved their whole career not letting their brand nubian collab song release.

While De La Soul made secular music, Pos himself was very much heavily influenced by nuwabian teachings, you can hear it on buhloone mindstate (his constant stating of “the nubians” all throughout that album or the line on i am i be “i watch for the power to run out on the moon.”)

The irony is while yes, lot of these social commentary that these artists provided was informed by their religious followings, none of that discredits their humanitarian or conscious basis.

For example, Rakim is called a conscious rapper for good reasons but he never really talked on social issues like that.

Meanwhile Digable Planets talked about dumb pro-life people were in 1993 on their first album on a song “le femme fatal” (ironically, Ishmael in that song criticizes Clarence Thomas) they actually did an ig post when supreme court repealed roe v wade.

And this was before their next album blowout comb which dealt with 5% themes and still very socially aware if not with a lil more black nationalism. So some of these rappers did genuinely have a care behind their lyrics outside of the religions they followed.

Sidebar: black nationalism was NOT just something that religious doctrines encouraged. That was just something all niggas was on in the 90s. My dad went to famu and was a pagan atm and he could tell you just how more politically aware black America as a whole really was.

It is very funny that religious doctrines have been pushed to take a back seat and we are currently in some of our most least politically era in hip hop with a very, VERY, sharp lean towards hedonism.

Nah.

It's more so to do with Memphis's roots in the Blues.

Atlanta, Houston, Georgia in general, Florida, and Carolina’s had all 3, but here the nuwuabians had the strongest presence by far esp in Georgia. 5%ers were more clusters or prisons, Christianity was more strong in the south which made them way less dominant tho but they ruled prisons and by the 1990s, Farrakhan’s Million Man March pulled a lot of Southern support.

Goodie Mob, Scarface, Big Rube, Khujo Goodie and Dungeon family seemed to be either one of the three or heavily influenced using their terminology. UGK and OutKast also got some influence through Lord Jamar.

Your right that Memphis’ satanic and horror core imagery was mainly just aesthetic and atmosphere based rebellion due to the Bible Belt grip of christianity, but also other than horrror movie influence people forget Southend Gothic Culture was a huge part of it. They just shared in common a similar fascination with the occult.

That's a crazy TLDR Gonna save this for later

Great post
Afrocentrism absolutely wasn’t all just those radical harmful groups of course, material conditions were terrible and it was just outside of or in the black panther and crack era of course Afrocentrism and political activism was still huge. Digable planets is a good example of people who had their own great political ideas that were rooted in humanitarianism and accurate to the whole socially conscious guys just being educated thing.

Great point on De La, I haven’t heard buhloon mind state really good point. I’d like to add these NOI 5%er and Nuwuabian rappers were mostly well-versed in their religious texts and teachings, but I wouldn’t necessarily consider them broadly well-read outside that context the way they are portrayed now. Hence moments like that hilarious rass kass song (I know rass kass wasn’t NOI). I think we also have to admit that most of what people now call ‘conscious rap’ in the 90s leaned heavily on religious frameworks like the 5%ers or NOI. If you pulled all that out, the decade’s activist voice in hip hop would look a lot thinner—almost more like a religious subgenre than a political one. The two were so intertwined it’s hard to separate them.

It doesn’t discredit the humanitarian effects nor that some did it for humanitarian reasons and im sure even the ones with a purely religious framework did truly believe they were doing a good thing and in many cases were yes, however even though yes they were conscious it was directly and inseparably linked to their theology, and the way NOI and 5%ers have and still do advertise themselves is to act as if it is. The framework for all their activism was a religious basis and motive which produced political consciousness, not just secular liberation politics. Unlike public enemy or Tupac where the base was Politics -> Revolutionary, anti-capitalist, or humanist ideas.

Why things are or aren’t whatever in the modern day I don’t rly wanna talk about because what makes this topic unique is it focuses on the 90s not modern day, I’d rather keep that to other threads.

I think a lot of the Three 6 Mafia members parents were pastors/involved in the church. I think a lot of it was them being edgy teens.

praying to god but i dont pray to buddha