Mona Haydar

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Mona Haydar (2018)

Mona Haydar (born May 18, 1988 ) is an American rapper , poet , activist and clergyman. She gained fame through her protest song Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab) .

Life

Haydar grew up in Flint, Michigan after her parents immigrated to the United States from Syria in 1971 . She wrote her first poems when she was learning to write. In the first grade she composed her own songs. Due to her cultural background, she grew up with the impression that music the way Mona wanted to make was not normal.

In her youth, she first made spoken word . Through studying in Damascus and talking to religious leaders, Haydar realized that hip-hop music doesn't necessarily contradict her Muslim beliefs. In 2015 she started making rap music as well.

When Haydar lost a best friend to suicide in 2012, she questioned her own lifestyle. This led her to leave Flint , where she had worked as a substitute teacher, and move to New Mexico in an interspiritual community called the Lama Foundation . She stayed there for several years, met her future husband Sebastian and gave birth to their first child.

Haydar holds a Masters Degree in Christian Ethics from Union Theological Seminary in New York City , which she chose to better understand the history and current situation of American women.

Career

In 2015, Mona Haydar and her husband set up a booth in Cambridge, Massachusetts and invited people to "talk to a Muslim". Through this project she wanted to have conversation with others. The idea came to her after Islamophobia rose sharply as a result of the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015 . A video of the action, which Mona published on her Instagram profile, gained great fame and helped Haydar gain an audience.

In 2016, Haydar was featured in a Microsoft advertisement with the motto #SpreadHarmony.

Her first single Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab) was released in 2017 and was very successful. Billboard named the song one of the "20 Best Protest Songs of 2017" and one of the "Top 25 Feminist Hymns". The lyrics and the music video do away with existing stereotypes about women who wear hijab and should encourage people to be more open. The success of the single marked the beginning of Haydar's rap career. In 2019, the video had more than 6 million views on YouTube.

In her second single Dog with Jackie Cruz , best known for the series Orange Is the New Black , Haydar raps about violence against women and the idea of ​​a global patriarchy.

Her song, Suicide Doors, tells the story of one of Haydar's best friends who committed suicide. The song is also intended to continue the public debate about mental health. Haydar also adds, "We need to stop talking about mental wellbeing as if it were only for white people."

In 2018, Haydar appeared on Katie Couric's National Geographic show America Inside Out and spoke alongside Couric at the SXSW media festival . On March 28, 2018, she was interviewed on the CBS Evening News about her " resistance music " .

Haydar released her EP Barbarican in 2018 and received positive reviews.

Discography

EPs

  • Barbarican (2018)

Singles

  • Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab) (2017)
  • Dog (2017)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Allison Stubblebine: Get "Lifted" With Mona Haydar's New Video. In: NYLON. October 18, 2018, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Lulu García-Navarro, Denise Guerra: Mona Haydar Breaks The Mold For Muslim Rap: 'You Just Have To Do You'. In: National Public Radio, Inc. April 11, 2018, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Lily Puckett: 5 religious leaders weigh in on Drake's version of God's plan. In: The Fader. February 18, 2018, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Trystan Young: Hijabi rapper: 'There's been a backlash'. In: BBC News. April 5, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Kathryn Lindsay: Mona Haydar's New Music Video "Dog" Tackles The Patriarchy Head-On. In: Refinery29. July 17, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  6. ↑ a b M ONA ::: HAYDAR - Love, Always. In: Mona Haydar Official Website. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
  7. ↑ a b c Mercedes Mejia, Stateside Staff: Mona Haydar's music asks listeners to “decolonize” their minds. In: Michigan Radio. December 17, 2018, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  8. ↑ a b Tyra Nicole Triche: Syrian-American rapper Mona Haydar Wants You To Rewire Your Brain. In: Bustle. November 21, 2018, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  9. ↑ a b Sofia Ali-Khan: Muslimah at Standing Rock: An interview with Mona Haydar. In: altMuslimah. December 5, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
  10. ↑ 'Ask A Muslim' Combats Stereotypes And Anti-Muslim Violence. In: AlJazeera. January 6, 2016, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  11. ^ Microsoft TV Commercial, 'Celebrate the Spirit of the Season' Song by Macy Gray. In: iSpot.tv. Accessed August 4, 2019 .
  12. ↑ Jessica Radloff: The Brilliant Way One Muslim Woman Is Working to Bring About Change. In: glamor. April 25, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  13. ↑ Allison Stubblebine, Caitlin Kelley: The 20 Best Protest Songs of 2017: Critics' Picks. In: Billboard. December 26, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  14. ↑ Allison Stubblebine: 25 Top Feminist Anthems. In: Billboard. November 8, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  15. ↑ Mona Haydar - Hijabi (Wrap my Hijab). In: YouTube. Retrieved August 4, 2019 .
  16. ↑ Hafsa Lodi: WATCH: Hijabi-American rapper Mona Haydar's must-see music video. In: The National. July 26, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  17. ↑ Noor Wazwaz: Hijabi Artist Channels Beyoncé For Debut Of Her 'Resistance Music' And Video. In: National Public Radio, Inc. April 23, 2017, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  18. ↑ Lulu García-Navarro, Denise Guerra: Mona Haydar Breaks The Mold For Muslim Rap: 'You Just Have To Do You'. In: National Public Radio, Inc. November 4, 2018, accessed on August 4, 2019 : "We need to stop talking about mental wellness as if it's just something for white people."
  19. ↑ Katie Couric podcast LIVE: The Muslim Next Door. Accessed August 4, 2019 .
  20. ^ Kristen O'Brien: Katie Couric Leads SXSW Discussion on What It 'Means to Be a Muslim Today'. In: Variety. March 12, 2018, accessed August 4, 2019 .
  21. ^ Watch CBS Evening News: Resistance music - Full show on CBS All Access. Accessed August 4, 2019 .
  22. ↑ Randall Colburn: Syrian-American rapper Mona Haydar breaks down her new Barbarican EP Track By Track: Stream. In: Consequence of Sound. November 2, 2018. Retrieved August 4, 2019 (American English).
personal data
SURNAME Haydar, Mona
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American rapper, poet, activist, and clergyman
DATE OF BIRTH May 18, 1988