Beer & Rap in Ramallah, Palestine

DAM - Palestinian Hip Hop group performs 8:00 pm today at Taybeh in Ramallah, Palestine

Taybeh Products for sale: Taybeh Beer, Taybeh Honey, Taybeh Olive oil, Too Top Olive oil, Tatreez (embroidery), Maftool (couscous), Thyme (zataar), Peace lamp...

Food at the fest: Shawarma, Falafel, chicken, kabab, kanafeh, BBQ

See Taybeh Oktoberfest 2010 Facebook page for more info.

Pishro Feat. Eliyas "Nejat" (Rescue)

Winning new converts to Iranian hip hop.

Somali rapper bucks hip-hop code of violence

Reported By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN

Charming Rapper Pragmatist

You know how home cooked food tastes better than restaurant food, usually? Well, this kid's rap has that home cooked flava.  And he won my heart from the get-go talkin' 'bout "wrapping up trees with pages from the Bible."

B-Rock | MySpace Music Videos

Rap Techno: Mickey Factz "Alpha"

The video is pretty. The combination of rap and techno seems somewhat innovative. I wish the words weren't boring. Sorry, but I've grown accustomed to Hichkas and Quf, who are setting high standards for rap lyrics.

British-Iraqi Rapper Lowkey is in New York

by Julie Jigsawnovich


Tonight British-Iraqi, Palestinian and American rappers will perform and have a panel discussion at 7:30pm in Held Auditorium, Barnard College in Manhattan. They are seeking to promote Hip Hop as a means of addressing social justice problems.

Included will be MC Lowkey, a half-British half-Iraqi rapper, who created a song called, "Long Live Palestine" together with Palestinian, Syrian, Iranian and American rappers. Part 2 of the song specifically addresses the Israeli bombing of Gaza.

I saw Lowkey speak on a panel with Professor Norman Finkelstein, Jody McIntyre, Jajla Said, Hurriyah, Lamis Deek, MC Immortal Technique, MC Hasan Salaam and others a few nights ago at Alwan for the Arts in Manhattan. Key points generally advocated during the discussions were: 1.) Ending ethic cleansing of Palestinians 2.) Equal rights for Palestinians and Jews 3.) A secular, non-racist government which would govern a single state which would include what is currently named Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The majority on the panel didn't seem to believe a two-state solution is feasible any longer.

Although some of their ideas may seem politically radical within the generally pro-Israel context of New York, they reflected a spirit of fairness rather than retribution. And the proposals were based on reason rather than religion. In fact there was a marked absence of religious and/or violent rhetoric. Although the speakers were passionate, their language was not fiery.

During the discussion, MC Lowkey did mention the level of military support the U.S. gives to Israel. And Lowkey recently made a song and video bitterly critical of President Obama, and of specific historical and current U.S. foreign policies and actions. The irony of course, is that his right to make these criticisms here in the U.S. is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, by American cultural norms and even, one could argue, by U.S. foreign policies and military actions which have defended freedom of speech. Yet Lowkey's criticisms have an element of Kant's Categorical Imperative. As part of the process of finding out whether something is morally correct, one asks oneself--how would the world be if everyone did the same thing I want to do?

I talked to Lowkey briefly before the panel discussion, and showed him An Open Letter of Reconciliation and Responsibility written by two former specialists, U.S. Army--one of whom carried the 10 year old Iraqi girl in his arms in the infamous "Collateral Damage" video leaked to Wikileaks--as he sought to bring her to medical treatment. Lowkey responded to my placing this letter in his hands by saying, "I wondered how it was for the people there on the ground." He told me he would read the letter later in private. It will be interesting to find out his response to it, and see him speak again tonight.

I truly cherish the rights to free speech and public debate so associated with America. This country gave birth to Hip Hop. It's hopeful to see people from other countries exploring the constructive potential of this art form, especially when they advocate winning hearts and minds for positive social change rather than advocating violence. And when they have such mad skills and flow on the mike!

CROOKERS (feat. Fabri Fibra & Dargen D'Amico) "Festa Festa" (3D)

Sure it's silly, and they are rapping in Italian. But it's a nice break from serious stuff.



Here is the original without the 3D effect.

Mahdyar Aghajani releases new tracks supporting Green Movement

The audio files can be found on his website. They are getting a very positive response from people I know in the Green Movement.
http://www.mahdyaraghajani.com

Hichkas "Ye Rooze Khoob Miad"

Ashkan "Iran Iran"

Video: Female Iranian Rapper Denounced Earlier Crackdown

Artist: Mahour
Song: Ettaham (Accusation)
Video: Mani Turkzadeh

Video: First political Persian rapper critiques the regime

by Julie Jigsawnovich

Before rapper Mahour released "Ettaham (Accusation)" and Bahram Divar released "Namei Be Raees Jomhoor (Letter to the President)", Deev released "Dastaa Balaa (Arms Up)." Following is a critique of the current situation by the first political rapper in Persian, Deev.

Disclaimer: I'm under the impression that Russia has more influence in Iran than Britain at this point.

Deev - "Sedaa Nedaa," in Persian, with English and Persian subtitles: