Native Deen

Native Deen is a Band that was set up in Washington DC by three effective youths they are:

3bdul-Malek A7mad

Abdul-Malik Ahmad was born in Connecticut in 1975 but spent most of his life in the Washington, D.C. area where he currently resides with his wife and daughter. He was privately educated until his senior year, after which he attended Georgetown University. During that time, he was heavily involved in writing and producing the music for a series of albums that were produced under MYNA Raps. At the same time, Abdul-Malik was able to visit the Middle East and become fluent in the Arabic language and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Arabic from Georgetown University.

He has let his bilingual tongue flow with his musical pen. Abdul Malik's writing talent is such that one listens enthralled at the merging of the two worlds in which he lives, East and West, Muslim and non-Muslim, and which he brings together seamlessly in his music. He transports the listener from the past to the future and back to the present without effort, transcending even time and space. His songs and rhymes are evidence of his passion for a better society as he masterfully writes about many issues that affect non-Muslims and Muslims alike. His ability to capture an audience like a master story teller with his songs and to produce ear-catching rhythms and sounds in the studio with limited instrumentality has put him in the top tier of Muslim Artists. This talented songwriter, producer, and musician is also a devoted husband and father, who believes in building strong family and community ties.

Hobbies and Interests:

Helping with programs that uplift Youth and bring them to a stronger awareness of Islam and how to live an Islamic life while still living and being involved in their society
Instructing Youth in Pencak Silat, an Indonesian Muslim Martial Arts in which he has achieved a level equal to a second-degree black belt
Graphic designing and web development through his company Kufic Graphics, a multimedia company
Working with state of the art sound engineering software to create songs and musical accompaniment as Audio Producer for Native Deen

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N3eem Mu7ammad

Naeem Muhammad was born on June 25, 1975 and grew up on the mean streets of inner city Baltimore (Maryland). He was the third of seven children and his mother's first child born and raised as a Muslim. �Naeem possesses a deep love and a flare for art stemming from his father who was a painter and his mother who attended art classes with baby Naeem in a carrier. He has many fond memories of attending countless art festivals, live music performances, and African cultural events as a child which inspired him to express himself artistically instead of getting caught up in the streets. His mother, however, wanted to nurture more than just his cultural and artistic development, so she enrolled Naeem into the Islamic Community School of Baltimore, a private Muslim parochial school, hoping to plant the seeds of faith deep within his soul.

From fifth grade until graduation, Naeem spent these formative years in Islamic education and community activism. He has been involved with Muslim youth and community work since the age of 13, working with various organizations such as Muslim Youth Council of D.C., AMC (American Muslim Council) and MYNA, where he befriended Abdul Malik and became acquainted with Joshua. He graduated from the Islamic Community School of Baltimore and went on to attend Towson University in Maryland. It was while at college that he formed a Hip-hop group called North Star which started to collaborate with MYNA Raps. Naeem has written and performed a number of songs for the MYNA Raps album series and has had songs featured in the soundtrack by Astrolabe Pictures for their animated movie entitled The Boy and the King.

Naeem's blend of heart-wrenching melodies and thought-provoking Hip-Hop rhymes coupled with his distinctive strong voice have made him stand out as a unique artist. His lyrics are a testament to his artistic and organic heritage as he sings and flows about spirituality, soul-searching, family, humanity, politics, environment, and everything in between. His passion for educating and uplifting through music is nowhere more evident than onstage where he brings unparalleled Energy, connecting with the audience and commanding their attention. Although Naeem has many fans the world over, his biggest fans are his four baby girls, who live with him in Charles Village, Maryland, along with his wife.

Hobbies and Interests:

Working with relief agencies to assist victims suffering from poverty and natural disasters throughout the world
Snowboarding and Skateboarding (He also assisted in a Muslim snowboarding documentary)
Singing/song-writing/performing, pouring his eclectic collection of life experiences into his music and live stage performances

Joshua Slam

Joshua Salaam was born in Camden, New Jersey in 1973. He was raised by a single and devoted mother and has lived in a number of U.S. cities including Kansas City, Missouri, Lombard, Illinois, and Indianapolis, Indiana as his mother worked for a number of Islamic organizations. He currently resides in the Washington D.C. area. Joshua began writing and performing at the early age of 10 at youth camps as a member of MSU (Muslims Steppin Up). By the age of 12, he was a member of and entertaining hundreds of participants of a national Muslim youth group called MYNA or Muslim Youth of North America. These entertainment sessions led Joshua to be on the very first MYNA Raps album in 1992.

A year later, he co-founded a group called Sonz of the Crescent where he recorded and debut the album What's the Word. In 1998, he had yet another opportunity to work on a collaborative project with many up-and-coming Muslim Rap Artists through a series of albums produced by MYNA Raps leading him to cross paths with a creative songwriter and producer named Abdul-Malik Ahmad. Later on Abdul-Malik, Naeem and himself joined together to form Native Deen. Since then he has toured the U.S. and the world with Native Deen. Not only is Joshua a lyrical genius behind the Mic, combining hardcore, no-nonsense lyrics with old-school Hip-hop, but he is also a talented Conga player in his own right, drumming out beats to compliment his fellow artists. He is an entertainer-at-heart as his fans will bear witness to his numerous stage antics that have them on their feet and often doubled-over from laughter! When Josh is not in the studio or touring with Native Deen, he enjoys teaching and spending time with his two young sons, Musa and Haroon.

Hobbies and Interests:

Helping with Youth and Community out-reach programs
Playing and coaching in Muslim Basketball/Football leagues
Writing songs and raps that will inspire Muslims and give da'wah to the world



About The Band

The story of Native Deen is an inspiring one that began with three Muslim youth possessing unique talents and a passion to spread the uplifting message of Islam. Originally solo artists and active participants of their communities searching for creative ways to educate and inspire Muslim youth, today Native Deen has become a fusion of Hip-hop and R&B flavors, thrilling fans with their eclectic and unique combinations of lyrics, rhythms and sounds. The trio made up of Joshua Salaam, Abdul-Malik Ahmad and Naeem Muhammad came together in 2000 and has embarked upon a professional career in the music industry together in order to highlight issues confronting Muslims living in America.

These three young African-American men who were raised as Muslims in America have emerged as one of the leading Islamic Nasheed groups and have inspired an international fan base. Drawing their own inspiration from the message of Islam, Native Deen's music calls listeners to keep the faith, to live better lives, and to NOT succumb to the pressures and temptations of modern society.

Native Deen uses only percussion instruments, inline with the majority Muslim opinion on the use of musical instruments. This has not hindered the group's musical creativity but has resulted in evocative audio efforts that have resulted in sounds that are a fusion of street rap, Hip-hop & R&B. The music of Native Deen resonates with fans all over the world. Their music and positive message have been embraced by people of all ages and backgrounds, from Islamic clerics to non-Muslims.

The group has played to rave reviews throughout North America as well as Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Together, they have played some of the world's most distinguished auditoriums and performed alongside artists such as Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Sami Yusuf, Zain Bhika, Raihan, Dawud Wharnsby, Seven8Six, Outlandish and much more. Native Deen has performed in over 60 cities around the world inspiring Muslims and non-Muslims alike and are ranked as one of the Top Five bands in its genre on MySpace. Native Deen's music has provided a cultural bridge by presenting Islam in a positive light to Western audiences and promoting tolerance in Muslim countries by demonstrating that there are devout, practicing Muslims in Western countries. In 2006 the group won the Mahabba Award in Dubai at an Artists' event showcasing musicians, artists and filmmakers inspired to spread Islam through their art. Now with their second album out, the trio has reached a new height in their career.



Common Questions

Q. What does the name "Native Deen" mean?

Everyone knows what "Native" means but "Deen" is an Arabic word for religion or way of life. Muslims believe that the way of life that is native, or inherent, to all of creation is Islam because it is the religion where you submit yourself to the will of the sole Creator, seeking to live in harmony with the laws of the universe and not contrary to them.

Q. Why do you wear modest clothing and the kufi (skullcap)?

We identify ourselves as Muslims by wearing Islamic dress like the kufi and loose-fitting clothing. There are, of course, many ways to identify oneself as Muslim. Your actions are one way and your clothing and modest attire is an additional way. We try to do both by adhering to Islamic etiquette and by dressing modestly.

Q. Why do you only use percussion instruments?

Many scholars believe that wind and string instruments should be avoided in Islam. Even though the Qur'an does not specifically mention musical instruments, some scholars say that if the lyrics or words are Islamic then any type of musical instrument is permissible while other scholars say that only percussion (drums) instruments can be used. We cannot please everyone, but using only percussion instruments allows more Muslims to enjoy our music. We utilize various percussion sounds in our music.

Q. Are you part of the Nation of Islam or Five Percenters?

No! We are African-American but we do not follow the teachings of the Nation of Islam or the Five Percenters. Not all Black Muslims follow Farakhan and in fact, over one-third of Muslims in America are African-Americans that follow main stream Islam or what is commonly referred to as Sunni Islam.

Q. Do you promote violence in your lyrics?

No! The Arabic word Islam means Submission, from the root word Silm or Peace. Muslims know that peace can only come from submitting to the laws of the Creator. We do not advocate or promote or approve of violence. Our lyrics promote peace, understanding, and tolerance towards all without regard to religion, color, or ethnicity. We do not believe this diminishes pride in our Islamic identity but increases it.

Q. Does Native Deen only perform Rap music?

No. Sometimes we rhyme, sometimes we sing, sometimes we do both!

Q. What is MYNA RAPS?

MYNA RAPS is a project put together by the organization M.Y.N.A. or Muslim Youth of North America. The project was a gathering of amateur recording artists who wrote their own work and were featured on MYNA RAPS albums. Three of the artists from these albums, Joshua Salaam, Abdul Malik Ahmad, and Naeem Muhammad, who were all solo at the time, started a group in 2000 where they could do this professionally. This is how Native Deen was born.


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