Arabic hip hop

Arabic hip hop is hip hop music and culture originating in the Arabic-speaking world. It is performed in English, local Arabic dialects, Hebrew, and French. Some artists of this genre are highly influenced by American hip hop. However, many choose to be creative on their choice of topics and music borrowing only the style.

Hip hop music has a high popularity almost everywhere in the Arabic-speaking world. It is played on the radio stations and shown on TV stations, but performing it has begun only recently. Some say a Palestinian group called DAM was the first to attempt to produce Arabic rap music in 1998. [1]. A lot of hip hop groups are still underground. Being critical about politics and expressing your views could incite government censure. The internet has been an outlet for most groups like the Arabian Knightz, an Egyptian group that is gaining popularity.

Algeria

Famous Algerian rappers include Intik, MBS, MC Allah, George Saoud and MIA.

Bahrain

In Bahrain, there's DJ Outlaw.

Egypt

More recent and very popular hip hop performers are MTM from Egypt, who have been using Egyptian Arabic in their songs. Jaffa Phonix, founded in 2003 by two Palestinian refugees in Egypt, is an electro/hop band using Palestinain Arabic. The Arabian Knightz have also been gaining popularity.

Iraq

NiZ-R is an Iraqi rapper who is living in Jordan who raps in both Jordanian and Iraqi Arabic dialects.

Euphrates (band) and frontman Narcicyst who is now going solo, are Iraqi Canadians from Montreal.

Sandhill (producers) was founded by Iraqi-Canadian brothers Habillis and Nofy Fannan in 2000. They were the musical force behind the groundbreaking and internationally acclaimed Iraqi hip-hop group Euphrates, which they formed with premier Arab mc and childhood friend the Narcicyst.

TIMZ is an Iraqi American rapper mostly known for his controversial rap song "Iraq",he now has a debut album "Open for business" available online. He has gained recognition through his political messages in his music, he has also been featured on Fox news, MTV news, Al Jazeera and has been nominated for "Best Hip-Hop Album" at 2006 San Diego Music Awards.

Kuwait

There is a popular Kuwaiti hip hop band called Army of One [2], who perform in English. They released an album called "Reprezentin", which received much success around the region.

Lebanon

AKS'SER, an Arabic hip-hop group from Lebanon, was formed by two Beirut-based rappers whose music is a discourse about a society marked by civil war. Rayess Bek, one of AKS'SER members, has gone on with a solo career, releasing a widely aclaimed album, Aks'ser was recently signed by EMI. Clotaire K, another Lebanese rapper, released an album titled Lebanese, and he mixes rap with oriental beat, way before the American hiphop producers thought of this. Ashekman a controversial Lebanese rap crewstarted in 2001 released their debut album titled Nasher Ghassil, and on the first week of sales they climbed to the Top2 in the sales chart. Ashekman album is the first Arab rap album with the "Parental advisory explicit content" sticker in Arabic, the crew had to put this sticker since the album content is aggressive and underground , and the album was reject 3 times by the censorship before it was accepted.

Morocco

One of the most successful Arabic rappers is the Moroccan artist Salah Edin who performs his music in the Moroccan dialect Darija. Salah Edin has performed in over 31 countries in 4 continents and worked among popular American acts such as the Wu-Tang Clan, producer Focus (Aftermath) as well as with popular French artists IAM and Danish topsellers Outlandish.

Palestine

Palestinian hip hop supposedly started in 1998 with Tamer Nafar's group DAM. These Palestinian youth forged the new Palestinian musical sub-genre, which blends Arabic melodies and hip hop beats. The group, based in Israel was founded in 1998, and is made up of three Palestinian men (who are also Israeli citizens): Tamer Nafar, his brother Suhell Nafar, and Mahmoud Jrere. The group's name is the Arabic word for "eternity" and the Hebrew word for "blood," (دم) but can also be an acronym for "Da Arabic MCs." The group's lyrics often deal with the frustration at the feeling of being second class citizens in Israel, as well as other issues familiar to hip-hop fans around the world, including drug-related violence. Despite not having a formal recording contract, DAM's 2001 single "Meen Irhabi? - Who's the Terrorist?" - was downloaded more than a million times from their website. The group has also delivered their message outside Israel and the Palestinian territories on four European tours. DAM's latest single "Born Here" is in Hebrew and they are hoping they can bring the Palestinian message to an Israeli audience. "Arabs already know how they live - we have to educate Israelis on what's going on." On the 17th of November 2006 they released their first album: "Dedication".

From the Bay Area California some gangsta Arab Palestinian rappers include Patriarch, The P-styne Ryders, And Saja P

Other Palestinian rappers include MWR, DAM, Arapeyat and Jabbar (rapper & producer) [3], the P.R. Palestinian Rapperz [4] , the N.O.M.A.D.S [5], and the Philistines [6], and JAFFA PHONIX, founded in 2003 by two Palestinian refugees in Egypt, is an electro/hop band using Palestinain Arabic.

DJ Khaled is a very popular and well-known Palestinian-American DJ. However his hip-hop does not relate to the Palestinian struggle and is not Arabic, but more of the modern American-style hip-hop. He is involved with rappers such as Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Lil' Wayne, Birdman, Kanye West, Pitbull and others.

Other

From other Arab nations, Arab Legion, Iron Sheik, Patriarch Son of a Refugee, Euphrates, h2Z, and Adam A. Shoucair also known as (A.M.A) All.Mighty.Ameer [7].

Other successful rappers, producers and DJ's of Arabic origin are Cilvaringz (Wu-Tang Clan), DJ Khaled (Terror Squad) DJ Cut Killer (France), DJ Abdel (France), Freeman (IAM), Isam Bachiri (Outlandish), producer Fred Wreck (Snoop Dogg, G-Unit), DJ Lady S (Belgium), and All.Mighty.Ameer (Detroit).

External links

• Official Arabic Rap Website
• The home of amateur Arabic Rappers
• Slingshot Hip Hop - a documentary film on the life of Palestinian rappers living in Gaza
• Official UAE Rap Website
• Rayess Bek Website
• Clotaire K Website
• StiF SaY Website
• The official website for Army Of One