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There is a young man who inspired me to write this article. I thank him for doing a great service to the Muslim society. Turn where you will. Look to the East Coast or the West Coast and there are various Arab boys, Indian boys, and Pakistani guys who have adopted the look, lingo, and life of a "thug. " I have seen it many times - this strange transformation from tapered jean-wearing, glasses-owning, nail biting ninny to chest-thumping, hard-acting, Nautica-wearing "thug. " It begins at an early age with the use of slang, words like "werd! , "yo!" , "jirga man!" It is followed by the gradual attraction towards mainstream rap.
Ja Rule, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jay Z. Bear in mind, this attraction to hip hop is not derived from any cultural relationship these boys feel towards "the ghetto!" Most of them have never even been to one. Regardless, they like to blare hip hop in their predominantly white high schools because it makes them stand out. Wearing ENYCE, or Sean John, on the other hand, in the predominantly white high school makes said Muslim boy stand out and makes him appear more hardcore than he would in his tapered jeans from Sears that his mother bought for him.
Thus, we see that the use of slang, plus a certain social need, gives rise to a Muslim boy getting closer and closer to a certain imagined sense of "thug-life. " Add to this the fact that most Muslim boys only play basketball while growing up, or "hoops" as they call it, because they are too skinny for football and too excitable for baseball. The game comes with its own infusion of hip-hop culture. Since a thug is either a "baller" or a "Playa" and since most Muslim parents would beat up their sons if they saw them with a girl, all Muslim boys end up being (self-proclaimed) "ballet. " We all know the relationship basketball has with hip-hop culture. A Muslim's transformation into a "thug" quickens. He starts using appropriately placed rap verses. Ice Cube's "check yo " self fo' you wreck yo " self" makes its way into religious discussions.
Nelly's "it's getting hot in here" begins to be dropped into sermons referring to Hell. Their emails begin to be sprinkled with "kno wat im sayin" and "check it. " His favorite love song, instead of being something by Sinatra, becomes Ginuwine's "My pony!" or Montel Jordans "Let's Ride!" No thug is complete without a "phat-ride" and some "ill ice. " Thus, when he goes off to college, Muslim boy from predominantly white high school, clad in Rocawear, "rockin" the latest Adidas demands a Lexus for graduation. His loving (and rich) parents gladly throw in a platinum necklace. Thus begins the real life of the Muslim Male Thug. He does not have girls. That's fine.
But hey, he has the car, the platinum chains, the shoes, the clothes, the lingo, the "skillz" and the right music. When he goes off to college he discovers others like himself. They make up new handshakes. They wear their hats in different ways (by watching Black Entertainment Television).
They "roll" into the Muslim Student Association, hoping to inspire a feeling of fear by being "hard. " Those that don't embarrass themselves in the process that is, those that are able to use the most ebonics with a straight face actually become legitimate "thugs" in the eyes of the MSA. It is to guys like these that an average Joe would go if he wanted to know the lyrics to an Outkast song. Note that no one else outside the MSA would consider these guys a thug. But that's not really important to them. Someone sees them as they want to be seen, that is sufficient. The rest of their collegiate career is spent, not in exploring other ways of life, but in "tightening up the game. " A dose of reality hits these boys when they graduate.
They realize that those girls in college who thought they were so fly, so bad, so interesting because they were so mysterious, lose interest in them and move onto 26 year old investment bankers. These thugs forget the fact that they haven't spelled the word "is" without a "z" since they were 6 and go get real jobs. They sell the Lexus to fund a quick degree in accounting and become number crunchers so that finding a wife might be easier. Some of these thugs make it through to 30 in this way.
But we all know what everyone calls them behind their back (yes, loser is one such word).
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Research essay sample on Hip Hop Culture Predominantly White
