From Rakim To Drake: A History Of Arabic in Hip-Hop Lyrics By Genius

Jay-Z does it, Kanye does it, Kendrick does it. Using Arabic words is quite a common thing in American hip-hop lyrics. In fact, since the very beginning of the genre, MCs included Arabic language as well as invocations and prayers of Islam in their tracks - whether they are Muslim or not.

This compilation by the Genius, “the world’s biggest collection of song lyrics and musical knowledge” according to their website, provides us with a short history of Arabic used in hip-hop lyrics. This not only includes some examples by big names as Nas, Kid Cudi, Busta Rhymes or Wu-Tang Clan but also explains the meanings behind common references like Bismillah or Mashallah.

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