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Acknowledgments

I’ve been teaching courses on religion and hip-hop for many years now, so I want to begin by acknowledging my students at the University of Arizona. The conversations in the classroom—touching on issues of culture, music, religion, and literature—have added richness and depth to the themes and concerns of this book. When I first proposed a course on hip-hop more than ten years ago, it took some convincing that the subject had merit and intellectual weight. Things are different now; there are hundreds of courses on hip-hop throughout the country, and the University of Arizona has even developed a minor in hip-hop studies. I’ve been both surprised and delighted to witness this turn of events.

Of course I’m deeply grateful to the first readers of my book, especially Adam Bradley and Ilan Stavans. Adam Bradley read a very early draft of this book and showed tremendous patience, insight, and wisdom in his evaluation. He offered invaluable advice and direction. I’m grateful for his enthusiasm for this project. Ilan Stavans, too, provided me with tremendous support and encouragement. Although he is a busy scholar and public intellectual, he still found time to read my manuscript, and I’m very thankful that he did. And for many years now, Richard Rodriguez has challenged me to think and write outside the box of academic norms, to be more daring and creative in my scholarship. Although part of me will always remain tethered to academic fields of study, I take his counsel seriously and strive to loosen the restraints—sometimes as tight as a straitjacket—that prevent many scholars from stretching and extending our minds.

At the University of California Press, I want to thank Eric Schmidt for reaching out to me and choosing to publish my manuscript. At every stage of the journey, from proposal to review process, he was quick, courteous, and professional in his responses and provided me with many critical and supportive suggestions. My copyeditor, Sharon Langworthy, was fantastic and very helpful in correcting many of my worst tendencies in writing.

In the theological circles that I run in, I want to thank Roberto Goizueta, Tim Matovina, Daniel Groody, Benjamin Valentin, Carmen Nanko-Fernández, Gustavo Gutiérrez, and David Tracy. For years I’ve cherished the scholarship of each name above, but I’ve probably learned as much from their depth of character and devotion to the poor. I wrote my dissertation—and first book—on the thought of Gustavo Gutiérrez, and I can honestly say that his voice continues to ring and boom in my ears. Even when unacknowledged in this study, his influence on my theological vision has been profound. At the University of Chicago, I had numerous teachers who stirred my curiosity and sense of wonder, but David Tracy certainly stands out as an exceptional presence in the life of my mind and spirit. I have been blessed to count him as a teacher and as a friend, and I value his brilliance, learning, and generosity. Other teachers at the University of Chicago included Anne Carr, Bernard McGinn, Adela Collins, John Collins, Friedrich Katz, Homi Bhabha, and Jean-Luc Marion—all have been bright lights in my education. For the purposes of this study, I also received helpful advice from the current dean of the University of Chicago, Richard Rosengarten. Thank you, Rick, for your suggestions on the matter of “soul.”

Finally, I want to thank my immediate and extended families for their unwavering love and support. My adopted family and their children—Rukia, Abdi, Abdullahi, Isha, Madina, Wiliye, Amina, Zeinab, Fatima, Yaya, Nasteha, Noorto, Husein, and Halima—have been a true gift and blessing in my life. I cherish the time we spend together and consider each of you my blood and kin. Of course, my mother and father gave me parts of their soul in raising me and my siblings; I’m grateful for their unconditional love. For their strong presence in my life and their inestimable support and encouragement, I thank my brother, Andy, the former b-boy and current physician (of Royal Rockers fame); my sister, Melinda; my sister-in-law, Bettina; my nephews, Zeta, Bianca, and Paloma; my uncle Carlos and aunt Bertha; and my cousin, Robert Robinson. Numerous friends and relatives also have played key roles in my writing and life: Rick and the Duran family, Miguel Ferguson, Jim and Mimi Dew, Annie Reay, Elise Hansen, Brooke Sabia, Isabel Shelton, Bridget Longoria, Thomas Witherell, Carlos Nava, Eric Arvayo, and Mark and Sara Ryan. I’m very fortunate to have so many wonderful family members and friends who constantly enrich and nourish my soul.