Mona Haydar is an American rapper who recently caught the limelight for her appearance in a three-part documentary series “The Great Muslim American Road Trip.” The series focuses on the diversity of Muslims across the nation.
The series follows a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey on a historic Route 66 as they come across Islam’s deep roots in America. It premiers on all WTTW platforms on three consecutive Tuesdays beginning July 5, 2022.
The first episode is titled “Life Is a Highway: Chicago to Joplin, Missouri.” The couple will make more than a dozen stops between Chicago and Los Angeles, including St. Louis.
Meet Mona Haydar From The Great Muslim American Road Trip
Mona Haydar is a well-known American rapper, poet, chaplain, and activist born on May 18, 1988. The thirty-four years rapper was raised alongside her seven siblings in Flint. In 1971, her parents immigrated to the United States from Damascus, Syria.
She began performing spoken word poetry at the age of 14 in her hometown at open mics, and poetry shows downtown. She then sharpened her act and learned to use poetry as a medium to deliver stories she felt were hugely ignored by the mainstream media.
Haydar was then brought in and mentored by black women who also gave her lessons on using her voice as a way to oppose white supremacy and further Western culture. One such mentor was Dr. Traci Currie who was a professor at the University of Michigan when the artist attended.
She graduated from the University of Michigan – Flint in 2011 and left the US to continue her study at Jami’ Abu-Noor in Damascus, Syria. As the Syrian conflict emerged, her studies in Islamic spirituality were cut short and she returned back to Flint.
Who Is Mona Haydar Husband Sebastian Robins? Their Children
Mona Haydar is happily married to her beloved husband Sebastian Robins. The couple star in the recent TV series “The Great Muslim American Road Trip” for PBS. The rapper’s husband is known as a writer and teacher by profession.
Haydar and her husband have two sons together. They often show their love to their sons, one of whom is eight years old and another five years old.
The loving couple has a travel show about Islam in the United States which has already centered the attention of the audience. Mona and Sebastian felt they had a deep knowledge of Islam. But as they were filming a docuseries, they realized how much more they need to learn.
A Syrian American rapper and activist, Mona, grew up Muslim while her husband, an educator, converted to Islam after they met. The mini-series highlights the divergence of Muslims across the country and their contribution to culture and history.
Rapper Mona Haydar Ethnicity And Religion
Syrian-American Mona Haydar, the poet-turned-rapper, is Muslim. Her parents immigrated to the United States in 1971 from Syria, so she comes from a Syrian ethnic group.
Her breakout song of 2017 “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab),” a rap referring to women who donned traditional Muslim headscarves, was listed among the best protest anthems of the year by Billboard. Her EP Barbarian redefined the meaning of barbarian.
She holds a master’s degree in Christian Ethics from Union Theological Seminary. Haydar along with her husband, set up a stand in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2015. The couple invited people to “Talk to a Muslim,” offering them flowers, coffee, and donuts as a medium to replace trauma with love.
How Much Is The Net Worth Of Mona Haydar?
Mona Haydar has amassed a great fortune of around $1.5 million out of her career as a musician. Her 2015 hit single “Hijab” received more than 1 million views on her YouTube Channel and her debut video on “Hijabi (Wrap By Hijab)” was called by NPR.
She has also been featured in the Emmy-nominated series The Secret of Muslims by Josh Seftel alongside her husband, Sebastian. The couple’s episode is the most-watched episode of the series.