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Hip, hop, but not HURRAY yet
Loading ...Hip-hop has expanded its reach into the Arab world, but it still has not penetrated all aspects of Arab society.
It is hip, funky and it is in Arabic. Hip hop or rap, typically perceived to be the voice of the oppressed and the angry, has been growing in popularity in the UAE and the Middle East. The UAE has its own breed of Emirati and expatriate talent rapping in Arabic, English and, more often than not, in what is considered a fusion of the two languages.
Though rappers here have, to their credit, evolved an individualistic style, unique to the UAE and the Arab world, many look up to the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Eminem for inspiration.
If slums of the United States became the springboard for Afro-Americans to speak their minds, it was the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 in the US that led to the growth of Arabic hip hop. Angry and frustrated at being typecast, many young Arabs turned to hip hop to vent their feelings against terrorism and Western stereotypes. The Palestinian struggle has also found its voice in this form of rhythmic poetry.
Today, rap music is over 30years old, and it is no longer confined to an American audience. Technology such as CDs, satellite television and certainly the Internet have resulted in the music form transcending borders and teenagers worldwide have become clearly captivated by it.
Even German, French, Italian, Russian, Japanese and Nigerian youth are all rapping in their own languages, and interestingly, even the Gulf has not been untouched by this expressional yet literal music.
Last year, MTV Arabia hosted a show, HipHopna, where middleeastern rappers aged between 18 and 25 were invited to compete for the best rapper in the region. Two of the eight members on the show were from the UAE.
So how is hip hop perceived in a country known to be a melting point for cultural pursuits? Sadly, it is looked down upon by a major section of the society, say rappers. They are up against a range of issues from social acceptance to companies willing to sign on artists to finding a platform to play and getting permits to perform anywhere in country.
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