Walaikum Asalam Wa Rhamatullahi Wa Barakatuhu brother,

You are right. A lot of what musicians talk about is haram for sure. But I am so glad you found musicians you like whose lyrics aren’t, well, immature, misogynistic, and just disgusting.

I checked out the Deen Squad and they sound great. Please don’t listen to people especially if they tell you the Deen Squad is not devout. That is not for them to judge, like, at all. Only Allah can say that. And they seem to be very into Islam to me.

As for whether music itself is completely haram, I cannot say one way or another. I have done a lot of research on this topic since I used to be a singer and have loved hip hop from way back. But there are very solid opinions on either side of the debate.

For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) allowed Aisha to listen to music on Eid and told Abu Bakr (RA) to back it up when he protested.

But there is a hadith stating that wind instruments are the voice of shaytan. (Rap or hip hop is usually bass which is heavily dependent on drums and electronic simulated music if anything, and rarely included wind instruments).

For you, since you are seeking out musicians with good lyrics, and prefer hip hop—usually percussion-based—I would say go for it. It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders and a good heart. InshaAllah. But this is just my opinion.

You are also new to Islam and you should take your transition into an Islamic lifestyle one step at a time. Learn about the pillars of Islam and Iman. Once you have those down solid and have incorporated them into your life at your pace, then you can move on to understanding other less important issues that there is much debate around.

Also, check out these Bonna Muhammad who raps a cappella. His rap “Heroes” is excellent. Here’s his YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_WnvOu45e2rtdtMi-aHWmQ