Abdul Karim Pinckney, formerly the Imam at the Farm of Peace in south-central Pennsylvania, has released an Islamic hip hop/rap album. Abdul Karim describes himself as “yearning [to help others] come to know their Lord with clarity through revelation and reason ... with the result of an increase in love of God.” He describes his spiritual path as having led him to “witness mercy and love as essential to the fabric of our lives.” He describes this album as coming “from a place deep within – a longing, a return, a cry of the soul.... A call to rekindle and inspire that spark that moves us on the journey of life.”
When I asked Abdul Karim his reasons for making Project Inspire, he replied, “In this day and age, with all the division, distrust, and people going through hardships, I felt moved to call hearts to be inspired to turn back to God for strength, unity and a renewed focus.” That intention clearly shines through, as does his intention for “the music [to] be a benefit to your heart.”
I can’t sing the praises enough of this album. Abdul Karim’s sincerity comes through his music so strongly it’s deeply touching. At times the music comes across as praise, as prayer, as if Abdul Karim is singing to God directly. At times it’s a sharing of wise counsel to “Keep on Holding On” no matter our mistakes, trials, and tribulations – to keep getting back up no matter how many times we get knocked down (“We Give It All We Got”), to bring prayer together with action (“You Gotta Go Get It”), to witness “Only God, ” and to cultivate awareness of and gratefulness to God (“Grateful”). With “State of Emergency”, we are encouraged to evaluate where we are, what we are doing, where we are going; we are invited to consider whether we are sowing seeds of unity or division, of truth of falsehood; we are encouraged to wake up, focus on God, build community, value ourselves and each other; and more.
Project Inspire is upbeat and catchy, sometimes sobering, and consistently inspiring. Not only does it make a significant contribution to filling the void of music with a holy and inspiring message in the genre of hip hop/rap, it is also a beautiful bridge between pop culture and a God-centered life.
