Word is Bond: 50 Years of Hip Hop, Religion, and Spirituality
About this audiobook
The common phrase “one's word is one's bond” stems from biblical principles and centuries-old English texts on integrity. In the Book of Numbers, God instructs the Hebrew tribes that oaths and vows made bind the soul until fulfilled:
“When a man voweth a vow unto the LORD, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.” (Numbers 30:2)
Hip hop music and culture has captivated the world since its origins on the streets of the Bronx in the early 1970s. Over fifty years later, hip hop remains one of the most groundbreaking and influential cultural movements, evolving beyond music into fashion, media, social activism, and more. Yet many overlook the profound religious and spiritual foundation underlying hip hop's development over half a century. The slang phrase "word is bond," meaning to solidly commit to and uphold one's word, contains layers of meaning pointing back to these faith roots - specifically the "Nation of Islam," Five Percent Nation, and language of the church. This book traces hip hop's complex spiritual journey from the early Universal Zulu Nation pioneers swearing oaths to uplift their people, to commercial rap hits laced with allusions to Allah, Christian gospel sampling, and alternate universes of mysticism.
About the author
The power of one's word sits at my core as a facilitator, educator and author immersed for decades in hip hop culture. Since my youth, I witnessed the principles of integrity, honesty and trust binding together artists, fans and communities beyond legalities or social standing. The phrase "My word is my bond" distills a moral code I carry from childhood lessons and scriptures into manhood navigating life's complex struggles.
Within the musical movement birthed in New York City boroughs, this concept of uttering one's bond maintains sacred gravity. As a United States native I observed firsthand as hip hop grew beyond neighborhood house parties and sidewalk dance circles into a global force transforming pop culture and consciousness. Through its rhythmic poetry, thunderous beats and fearless vulnerability, hip hop transmitted an ancestral ethical lineage to empower marginalized people worldwide. Core influencers like the Nation of Islam and Five Percent Nation instilled codes of spiritual purpose which profoundly shaped hip hop's pioneers and enduring icons.
