When Kanye West announced he was turning his back on secular music in 2019, it was not so much a surprise but an evolution.
That year’s gospel album Jesus is King and last week’s follow up Donda found him mostly doing away with street and celebrity tales to focus on the more existential questions that come with a life of faith: why are we here? And what is the purpose of our existence?
Donda is awash with such musings and, in return, West has never sounded more vulnerable and, at times, humble.
“Lord, I need you to wrap your arms around me,” he croons in Lord I Need You.
"I give up on doing things my way and tell me everything is gonna be alright.”
The buoyant God Breathed has West using braggadacious rhymes to remind himself that he is essentially weak in the grand scheme of things: "I know He got His hands on this / I know we got a chance on this / No, I never planned on this."
Kanye West never hid his faith
While West never planned on focusing his craft towards rapping about the great beyond, his journey to enlightenment has been recorded in song through his almost 20-year career, which started after having his jaw shattered in a near-fatal car accident in 2002.
His debut single, Through the Wire, recorded a year later with his jaw wired shut, has West acknowledging – albeit in a flippant manner – the miracle of his survival.
"Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt." he says at one point before admitting, "I must got an angel".
Taken from his 2004 debut album The College Dropout, the track is one of many in which West uses a spiritual lens to discuss societal and personal matters.
Both come together in Jesus Walks, a strident number that was revelatory in terms of its subject matter.
That year, we were more used to Snoop Dog telling us to Drop it Like it's Hot and 50 Cent being suggestive with 21 Questions, than West imploring God to "show me the way because the Devil's trying to break me down”.
While West would rarely be as spiritually direct again until Jesus is King, the albums in between were home to some soul-searching lyrics.
A stirring example is the single Heard 'Em Say from his 2005 album Late Registration.
The chorus has West coming to terms with the reality of life: “Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today/ But we'll a find a way/ And nothing last forever but be honest babe/ It hurts but it may be the only way.”
While West went on to make rapping about spirituality both cool and successful – Donda debuted at number one in 130 international album charts – he is by no means the only hip-hop act who took their faith seriously on the mic.
Here are four other artists who kept it real and spiritual throughout their careers.
1. Tupac Shakur was a man of conscience
2Pac was an uncompromising presence of the street, but carried a conscience beyond his years.
Although he found commercial success with gritty club bangers such as Hit 'Em Up and California Love, it's when addressing internal struggles his work transcends the genre.
In 1992’s Ghetto Gospel, 2Pac attributes his faith for giving him persistence amid the everyday struggle.
“I make mistakes but learn from every one. And when it’s said and done, I bet this brother be a better one,” he says.
“If I upset you, don’t stress. Never forget that God isn’t finished with me yet.”
In 1996’s stirring Who Do You Believe In?, 2Pac credits his faith for keeping him alive amid the senseless street violence in the US.
“Who do you believe in? I put my faith in God, blessed and still breathing,” he raps in the chorus.
“And even though it's hard, that's who I believe in before I'm leaving, I'm asking the grieving, who do you believe in?”
2Pac managed to turn these introspective themes into a hit song with I Ain’t Mad At Cha.
Released two days after his death in 1996, the eerie video has him descending from heaven to reconcile with grieving companions.
In a memorable passage, he discovers a friend who has sworn a life away from crime and converted to Islam.
While sceptical of the move, 2Pac respects the discipline that comes with a spiritual life: "You trying hard to maintain, then go ahead, ‘cause I ain't mad at cha.”
2. Lauryn Hill's lyrics are full of spiritual imagery
For the enigmatic rapper and singer, her Rastafarian faith is not a source of tension, but a prism to survey life.
In her acclaimed 1998 debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she weaves biblical scripture with social commentary.
In Lost Ones, she adopts a saying from the ancient King Solomon, mentioned in the Quran, Bible and Torah, to describe materialistic people involved in the music industry.
“Trying to grab hold of what you can't control. Now you're all floss, what a sight to behold,” she says.
“Wisdom is better than silver and gold, I was hopeless, now I'm on Hope Road.”
She carries that theme in The Final Hour, as she questions the false security wealth and fame provides: “And all the transparent gonna be seen through/ Let God redeem you, keep your deen true.”
In the album's final track, Tell Him, Hill addresses God directly in a plea for strength.
“Let me be patient, let me be kind/ Make me unselfish without being blind,” she says.
“Though I may suffer, I'll envy it not and endure what comes because he's all that I got.”
3. Lupe Fiasco brought Islam to mainstream hip-hop
While not the only US Muslim hip-hop artist to be open about his faith, Fiasco’s profile – labelled as Kanye West's protege – made him a pioneer.
Tracks such as Hurt Me Soul and Hi Definition feature Islamic phrases such as Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness in God) and Assalamu Alaikum, the Muslim greeting of “Peace be with you".
Fiasco fully elucidates on his beliefs in 2006’s Muhammad Walks, a version of Kanye West’s Jesus Walks, released two years prior.
Over marauding strings, Fiasco discusses some of the tenants of Islam.
“During Hajj, we walk, through Ramadan, we starve. Though you not eating, there's a feeding of the mind,” he says.
“A defeating of the demons, a seeing of the signs.”
4. DMX was hip-hop’s preacher
Rarely has an artist encapsulated the vulnerability and the struggles of the spiritual quest better than DMX, which is why his death in April from a drug overdose hit fans and peers so hard.
Where the fascination with 2Pac stems from his dichotomous nature, DMX’s comes from the weaved reverence and remorse through most of his tracks.
In Damien, he states the soul is vulnerable to corruption when heedless.
“The snake, the rat, the cat, the dog. How you gonna see him when you living in a fog?”
In his 1998 hit Slippin’, DMX pens touching lyrics about finding strength amid trauma: “To live is to suffer. But to survive. That’s to find meaning in the suffering.”
DMX was known to end albums and concerts with stirring spoken word prayers.
His final album, Exodus, ends with the lament: “If what you want from me is to bring your children to you/ My regret is only having one life to do it, instead of two. Amen.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WORLD RECORD FEES FOR GOALKEEPERS
1) Kepa Arrizabalaga, Athletic Bilbao to Chelsea (£72m)
2) Alisson, Roma to Liverpool (£67m)
3) Ederson, Benfica to Manchester City (£35m)
4) Gianluigi Buffon, Parma to Juventus (£33m)
5) Angelo Peruzzi, Inter Milan to Lazio (£15.7m
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
HOW TO WATCH
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MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
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'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
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INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
