How prevalent were the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE) in NYC in the early 1990s? Were most black youth in NYC aware of the NGE? How was this strange religion able to be such a big influence on hip-hop?

by radiohead87

If you aren't into 90s hip-hop, you may not be aware that the Nation of Gods and Earths were extremely influential on hip-hop in general. Artists like Nas, the whole Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Busta Rhymes, Black Thought (from the Roots), Guru, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, MF Doom, Talib Kweli, and possibly even Jay-Z, were all members.

I have never quite understood how what seems to be such a weird "cult" became so engrained in hip-hop. For example, they believe that the "asiatic black man" is god, they consider themselves scientists, have their own "supreme alphabet", and often conduct "supreme mathematics" when they see each other. It would seem like this type of organization would not have that many followers, but when you listen to 90s hip-hop, it seems like it was really popular in NYC. I'm curious to how prevalent were these beliefs in NYC in the 90s and why did so many rappers come from this weird organization rather than more normal religious backgrounds that would seem to appeal to wider audiences?

k001869

Not from NY but I grew up in Chicago listening to East coast hip hop and it was soaking wet with NGE lingo and slang. I did have a few friends on the west side of the city who were members. It wasn't until I was a little older that I realized how much of the music scene in NY had NGE members and influence.