Rakin Fetuga
Encyclopedia
Rakin Misbah Fetuga Niass (born 21 January 1971) is a British
rapper
, music producer
, presenter
and teacher
.
, West
London
. His parents, both Nigerian
, came to the UK in the 1960s to further their education. His Muslim father was an accountant, whilst his mother was a Christian working for the London Transport. When Rakin was a teenager his parents separated, and in his mother’s care he was raised as a Christian. Through his early life, he has been Catholic
, Jehovah’s Witness
and Methodist
.
and BMG France. He was a DJ
, producer, breakdancer
and graffiti artist
as well as a rapper, known at the time as Rakin da Authordox aka Trim. Rakin converted to Islam along with the other members and in 1992, the group recorded the first ever Islamic Rap song "The Provider". In 1995, Rakin left the group.
He then studied Islam under the guidance of Shaykh Ahmed Ba'biker Abu Bakr As-Sudani who encouraged him to use rap for dawah
and to continue using his musical talents to make Islamic music
. In 1996, he formed the group Mecca2Medina
.
As well as recording and performing he has also presented programmes such as the Global Peace and Unity Event
Nasheed Contest for Islam Channel
in 2008. He has co-hosted and managed the urban stages at the Islam Expo
in Olympia and the Global Peace and Unity Event in ExCeL Exhibition Centre.
In September 2010, he produced a solo album, "The Road Less Travelled" released under the name 'Rakin Niass', featuring other hip hop artists including Poetic Pilgrimage
.
He is the CEO of Crescent Moon Media record label. He runs workshops to support youth, teaches Religious studies
at South Camden Community School and Islamic studies
on weekends, and is also life coach.
of the Tijaniyyah
sufi
tariqa. He now resides in North West London
with his wife and four children.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, music producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
.
Early life
Rakin Fetuga was born in Ladbroke GroveLadbroke Grove
Ladbroke Grove is a road in west London, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is also sometimes the name given informally to the immediate area surrounding the road. Running from Notting Hill in the south to Kensal Green in the north, it is located in North Kensington and straddles...
, West
West (London sub region)
The West is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. The sub region was established in 2004 and was adjusted in 2008 to include Kensington and Chelsea. The west has a population of 1.6 million and...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His parents, both Nigerian
Demographics of Nigeria
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Nigeria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
, came to the UK in the 1960s to further their education. His Muslim father was an accountant, whilst his mother was a Christian working for the London Transport. When Rakin was a teenager his parents separated, and in his mother’s care he was raised as a Christian. Through his early life, he has been Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, Jehovah’s Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
and Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
.
Career
In 1985, Rakin and his childhood friends formed Cash Crew and were signed to Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
and BMG France. He was a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
, producer, breakdancer
B-boying
B-boying, often called "breakdancing", is a popular style of street dance that was created and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans and Latino youths in New York City. The dance consists of four primary elements: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes...
and graffiti artist
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
as well as a rapper, known at the time as Rakin da Authordox aka Trim. Rakin converted to Islam along with the other members and in 1992, the group recorded the first ever Islamic Rap song "The Provider". In 1995, Rakin left the group.
He then studied Islam under the guidance of Shaykh Ahmed Ba'biker Abu Bakr As-Sudani who encouraged him to use rap for dawah
Dawah
Da‘wah or Dawah usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite"...
and to continue using his musical talents to make Islamic music
Islamic music
Islamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Central Asia, Horn of Africa and South Asia. Due to Islam being a multi-ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents...
. In 1996, he formed the group Mecca2Medina
Mecca2Medina
Mecca2Medina were the first Islamic Hip hop/Nasheed group in Britain.-History:The group was started in 1996 and produced their first EP, entitled "Life after death", the same year. Since then they have released three nasheed albums and two hip hop albums and one mix CD. They make music for both...
.
As well as recording and performing he has also presented programmes such as the Global Peace and Unity Event
Global Peace and Unity
The Global Peace and Unity event is an annual two-day conference held at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre in Royal Victoria Dock, London and organized by the Islam Channel. It is the largest Muslim, interfaith and multicultural event of its kind in Europe, having attracted over 55,000 visitors from...
Nasheed Contest for Islam Channel
Islam Channel
Islam Channel is a UK-based, free-to-air, English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel funded by advertising and donations. It was reported in 2008 that UK government research found that 97.3% of Muslims watched the channel...
in 2008. He has co-hosted and managed the urban stages at the Islam Expo
Islam expo
Islam Expo is an Islamic exhibition held in London in July 2006 and July 2008. In 2006 it was held at the Alexandra Palace in London, a city with a large Muslim population and it was described as being the largest Islamic exhibition ever held in Europe....
in Olympia and the Global Peace and Unity Event in ExCeL Exhibition Centre.
In September 2010, he produced a solo album, "The Road Less Travelled" released under the name 'Rakin Niass', featuring other hip hop artists including Poetic Pilgrimage
Poetic Pilgrimage
Poetic Pilgrimage is a British Muslim hip-hop duo founded in 2002. It is one of only a very few female Muslim musical groups.Poetic Pilgrimage is a female Hip Hop and Spoken Word duo who wish to take the world by storm with their sounds, lyrics and individual, personal characters...
.
He is the CEO of Crescent Moon Media record label. He runs workshops to support youth, teaches Religious studies
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
at South Camden Community School and Islamic studies
Islamic studies
In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...
on weekends, and is also life coach.
Personal life
Rakin is a muqaddamMuqaddam
Muqaddam is an Arabic title, adopted in other Islamic cultures, for any of various civil or religious officials. The literal meaning is something like "expediter", "facilitator", or "assistant"....
of the Tijaniyyah
Tijaniyyah
The Tijāniyyah is a sufi tariqa originating in North Africa but now more widespread in West Africa, particularly in Senegal, The Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, and Northern Nigeria and Sudan...
sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
tariqa. He now resides in North West London
NW postcode area
The NW postcode area, also known as the London NW postcode area, is a group of postcode districts covering part of northwest London, England...
with his wife and four children.
See also
- Black BritishBlack BritishBlack British is a term used to describe British people of Black African descent, especially those of Afro-Caribbean background. The term has been used from the 1950s to refer to Black people from former British colonies in the West Indies and Africa, who are residents of the United Kingdom and...
- British NigerianBritish NigerianBritish Nigerian is a term sometimes used to describe British people of Nigerian descent. Many Nigerians and their British-born descendents live in South London.- History :...
- British hip hopBritish hip hopBritish hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
- List of converts to Islam
- Islamic musicIslamic musicIslamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Central Asia, Horn of Africa and South Asia. Due to Islam being a multi-ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents...
- NasheedAnasheedAnasheed , is Islamic vocal music that is either sung a cappella or accompanied by percussion instruments such as the daff...
- Ismael Lea SouthIsmael Lea SouthIsmael Lea South is a British rapper, community activist and youth worker.-Background:Born Lea South in Willesden, North West London, United Kingdom. Both his parents are from Jamaica, his father came to the UK in the late 1950s and his mother in the early 1960s. He was raised as a...
- Mecca2MedinaMecca2MedinaMecca2Medina were the first Islamic Hip hop/Nasheed group in Britain.-History:The group was started in 1996 and produced their first EP, entitled "Life after death", the same year. Since then they have released three nasheed albums and two hip hop albums and one mix CD. They make music for both...
External links
- How mentors make a difference. Sean Coughlan. BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
. Wednesday, 24 January, 2001 - Muslims in the House. emel. Issue 8, November/December 2004
- Rooted in Our Lives. Rakin Fetuga. Arts and Islam Hip Hop Debate. Saturday, 14 June 2008