Reviews
Slingshot Hip Hop: Hip Hop In Palestine
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At its best, hip-hop music has provided a clear window into the lives of disaffected youth populations. Before there was MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter, hip-hop acted as a medium of cultural exchange, initially allowing seemingly disparate American urban populations to create a common cultural cache. Within twenty years, hip-hop had become a global movement. Slingshot Hip-Hop explores the evolution of Palestinian hip-hop culture and shines a spotlight on its bright, young stars.
Tracing the rise of DAM (Da Arabian MC’s), the first Palestinian hip-hop group, MWR, PR, Abeer, a fiery female artist, and a few other prominent groups, Jackie Salloum’s engaging documentary does an admirable job of linking the political struggles of African-Americans and Palestinians, and the art form that provides an outlet for the oppressed. The documentary combines interview, archival, animation, and concert footage into a kinetic film that articulates why Palestinian youth are frustrated with Israeli occupation.
Initially inspired by the political raps of Tupac Shakur and Public Enemy, DAM found common cause with their American rap idols. DAM began by spitting lame gangster raps. However, when their music gained a sharp political bent, the burgeoning Palestinian hip-hop movement began to find its voice. Inspiring other young rappers to put their struggles into song, the most prominent artists sought to encapsulate their experiences in fiery songs and passionate performances.
The film also explores the logistics of being a Palestinian hip-hop artist and the crushing poverty and casual oppression that breeds contempt on both sides. The viewer watches as the artists face obstacles, both big and small, while seeking to spread their message and forge a community inside of their homeland. These young people are fascinating to watch and their stories are compelling. Shunning violence for art, Salloum’s documentary shows how Palestinian rappers have incorporated some of the best aspects of the black American political struggle and forged something new that speaks distinctly to their cares, concerns, and desires.
Salloum’s film, while compelling, is not perfect. Some of the music is simply not very good, despite the artists’ best intentions. In addition, she sometimes displays a showy directorial style that can be at odds with the grubby and squalid proceedings either on display or being described. Those criticisms aside, the film is essential viewing. At its heart, the documentary firmly underlines the commonality of the human experience, our need for self-expression, and desire to create something better than what was forced upon us. Whether from New York, Los Angeles, Sudan, Egypt, or Palestine, societies can change when the people are galvanized and the forces of oppression are bravely confronted.
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