Middle Eastern hip hop

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Middle Eastern hip hop is hip hop music and culture originating in the Middle East. It is performed in many languages such as English, local Arabic dialects, Hebrew, Persian, and French. It is highly influenced by American hip hop.

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Arab hip hop

Arabic hip-hop refers to hip-hop developed in the Arab world. It is heavily influenced by American hip-hop, although it also fuses many aspects of local poetic traditions and culture. [1] Common themes include social and political realities, such as poverty, drug use, and resistance to occupation. [2] Hip-hop played an important role during the Arab Spring as a rallying chant for protesters. [3]

Iranian hip hop

Iranian hip-hop, also known as Persian hip-hop, refers to hip-hop developed in Iran. Due to government repression, a large portion of the Iranian hip-hop scene lies underground. [4]

Israeli hip hop

Israeli hip-hop refers to hip-hop developed in Israel. Since its development in the mid-1990s, it has grown largely free from government repression. Although some inspiration is taken from American hip-hop, hip-hop in Israel usually deals with situations in their countries, addressing issues such as poverty, criminality, and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. [5]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Yemen</span>

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Tamer Nafar is a Palestinian rapper, actor, screenwriter and social activist of Israeli citizenship. He is the leader and a founding member of DAM, the first Palestinian hip hop group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israeli hip hop</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">DAM (band)</span> Palestinian hip-hop group

DAM is a Palestinian hip-hop group founded in 1999 by brothers Tamer and Suhell Nafar and their friend Mahmoud Jreri from the mixed city of Lod. In 2015 female singer Maysa Daw joined the group. The group's songs are themed on protest, inequality, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and self-criticism of Arab-Israeli society, including the violence and drug dealing within Israel's mixed cities. DAM is the best-known and most famous Palestinian hip hop group; it is also often called the "quintessential Palestinian resistance band".

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Iranian hip hop, also known as Persian hip hop, refers to hip hop music in the Persian language developed in Iran and the Iranian diaspora. It originated from American hip hop culture, but has developed into a distinct rap style that draws on Iranian cultural concepts and engages with the modern issues Iranians are facing today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Political hip hop</span> Music genre

Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that was developed in the 1980s as a way of turning hip hop into a form of political activism. Political hip hop generally uses the medium of hip hop music to comment on sociopolitical issues and send political messages to inspire action, create social change, or to convince the listener of a particular worldview. It was inspired partially by politically-focused 1970s artists such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as the Black Power movement, Black Panther Party and revolutionary politics of the 1960s and 1970s. Various hip hop artists emerged in the late 1980s espousing political messages and providing social and political commentary with KRS-One and his group Boogie Down Productions, and Public Enemy in particular establishing themselves as some of the first predominantly political hip hop groups with albums in 1988. Soon to follow in 1989 and following years were other political rappers, or known as "Conscious rap" including such groups as X-Clan, Poor Righteous Teachers, Paris (rapper), Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and others. The genre has helped to create a new form of social expression for subordinate groups to speak about their exclusions, injustices, and lack of power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestinian hip hop</span> Music genre

Palestinian hip hop reportedly started in 1998 with Tamer Nafar's group DAM. These Palestinian youth forged the new Palestinian musical subgenre, which blends Arabic melodies and hip hop beats. Lyrics are often sung in Arabic, Hebrew, English, and sometimes French. Since then, the new Palestinian musical subgenre has grown to include artists in Palestine, Israel, Great Britain, the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hichkas</span> Iranian rapper, singer, and songwriter (born 1985)

Soroush Lashkari, known professionally as Hichkas, is an Iranian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Credited with popularizing Persian hip hop to the Iranian people and other Persian-speaking countries such as Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Hichkas's national success and acclaimed works are widely regarded as having broken the barriers that were in place by the Islamic regime for the acceptance of rappers in popular music. Hichkas is considered one of the pioneers of Iranian hip hop and is nicknamed "Father of Persian Rap" by his fans. He became a representation of the Iranian underclass and reflected the angst of the young Iranians. He has been influential for many artists of various genres and is often cited as one of the greatest rappers of Iranian hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadia Mansour</span> British-Palestinian musical artist

Shadia Mansour, also known as "the first lady of Arabic hip hop" is a British-Palestinian rapper who performs in Arabic and English. Much of her music revolves around Middle Eastern politics.

Lebanese Hip Hop is a pioneering movement in Arabic hip hop as Lebanese youth were among the first to be affected by hip hop culture. Arabic hip hop has received Western media attention, but most Lebanese rappers think that there is still a lack of local interest in their music. Hip hop in Lebanon is both an art form and a stage for artists to voice their alternative discourse in the public sphere.

Yemeni hip hop is a Yemeni music style and cultural movement related to rap and hip hop culture. It has influences from American hip hop and also from traditional music from the region. It is usually considered to have emerged from mid-2000s and reached its consolidation by 2009 when the first public concert was held in the French Cultural Institute. Although it has a variety of themes, there was an intense production of political songs by the Yemeni Revolution.

References

  1. Wiedemann, Felix (2019), Remixing Battle Rap and Arabic Poetic Battling, doi:10.20378/irbo-54191
  2. Allen, Harry (March 2008). "Straight Outta Palestine". VIBE Magazine.
  3. Fernandes, Sujatha (2012-01-30). "Opinion | The Mixtape of the Revolution". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  4. Chopra, Anuj (2008-04-16). "Rebels of rap reign in Iran". SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  5. Vens, Hartwig (2003-11-20). "Hip-Hop - Israel - Worldpress.org". www.worldpress.org. Retrieved 2023-01-17.