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May 18th 2009 News |
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Hip Hop is a universal language By The Final Call Da Arabian MC's, Suhell Nafar, Tamer Nafar, Mahmoud Jreri became the most well-known Palestinian group in hip hop after being featured in a documentary titled “Sling-shot Hip Hop.” The group has been performing together since the late 90s. All three members of the group were born and grew up in the slums of Lod, a mixed town of Arabs and Jews, just outside of Jerusalem. Their music is a unique fusion of East and West, combining Arabic percussion rhythms, Middle Eastern melodies and urban Hip Hop/Rap. The lyrics of DAM are influenced by the Palestinian struggle for freedom and equality. The Final Call's Assistant Editor, Ashahed M. Muhammad sat down with the group's members recently at an April 12 concert in Chicago to aid the people of Gaza .
The Final Call (FC): When you create the lyrics to your songs, how do you determine what you will discuss and what you will include? Real life events, political theories and ideas? Suhell Nafar: What we say is our lyrics and our art is influenced by our life so it's thirty percent the music we are listening to which is Hip Hop and thirty percent is the music that we grew up on which is Arabic music and cultural music or the folklore and our poetry and forty percent is the reality. When I open my window and see what's going on down there, when I just want to go to a friend's house and cops are stopping me and attacking me just like what's happening with African-Americans here in America or when my friends are calling me and telling me ‘they (Israelis) are demolishing our house.' I am going to write about it right after or when I talk to my friend in Gaza and they tell me what is happening with them. I am a human (and) there is violence all around me. I also have a human side. Sometimes we do also just jokes, just fun songs. We are trying to cover 100 percent of Palestinian (life). If we are just going to sing about politics, that will show that we have only violence around us and I don't want to pass this message to the world. I want to show them that we are human beings. I want to show them that we have occupation that is killing us; we have social problems in our community; we have drug problems, we (also) have love.
FC: In the movie, ‘Sling Shot Hip-Hop' that you all were featured in, I listened as you talked about the parallels between the struggle of young Black men and oppressed people in the United States and the struggle of the young brothers in Palestine. I remember a portion in which you said that you didn't really know how to speak English but looking at hip hop videos and specifically 2Pac, you learned to speak English? Mahmud Jreri: For us 2Pac was actually the teacher of the English language because back then we were listening to his music. Also I was listening to hip hop in general but 2Pac made me to look for the lyrics and then I started to learn English from 2Pac. I think because I felt his message. He was talking about political, social and personal problems and those are the same problems that we are facing in my own hometown, Lod which is the biggest crime city in the Middle East. He was talking about police chasing him and I was feeling it. I wanted to know more about it because it was the same thing for me in my neighborhood. When he was talking about political problems that they treat him in a way because he is Black, well in Israel they were treating me in a racist manner because I am Arabic, I am Palestinian. So I felt that he was talking to me. I felt him more than the Arabic music back then because the Arabic music back then was talking about love and about flowers, which we weren't living over there. So that's why 2Pac was the only one we felt back then.
Tamer Nafar: Black people are born to know their own tragedies, to know their own heroes, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Black Panthers. Over there our heroes don't have a day like Martin Luther King. Our heroes are still being named terrorists. So we are still broken inside, we still don't have people to follow yet. The Master came and took our house, so we are not looking for equal rights. We are looking to be the owner of that house again. It's a few differences but we are using the same weapon for sure. And I am going to tell you the truth the gate to my culture was through American music. I used to listen to 2Pac's music and there was this song from his album, “It's a Whiteman's World” and he was having samples from a film. I asked them what kind of film was that? They told me “Malcolm X” by Spike Lee. FC: What would you like to tell people who know nothing of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict other than the biased coverage they sometimes see or hear on the news? Suhell Nafar: Come visit don't be afraid. I heard so much about South Africa and Apartheid from all the media, how they covered it. So I saw how bad it is in the media, so I said ‘this is a good place.' Every place that the media shows you is really bad, you should (instead) go and support it. So just come and support Palestine; you have great places to see. Also these days the most important part is to assist us in the boycott against Israel. We have a lot of things to boycott and not just for us, for your own self here in America. The government is saying that they are democratic. Let's show them that it is not democratic and tell them we want this, we want that! This actually is not only for Palestine, this is also for Africa, this is also for all the brothers in Venezuela or South America or Cuba. These are all the people who have been getting killed generation after generation and the most important thing is to unite. We need to know each other's history and all the people who have been occupied and have been killed. This is why we are happy about this event. This is a big unity. It's a good feeling for all of us and we will gain support for our causes. FC: Thank you.
(Check out Da Arabian MC's at www.dampalestine.com and on MySpace at www.myspace.com/damrap.) |
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May 5th 2009 News |
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'Hip' Teachers Teach With Hip Hop Contributor: Mary TignorEmail: Mary.Tignor@wcpo.com Web Produced By: Alyssa Bunn It is rare to hear high school students describe their teachers as "hip." |
| Aceyalone Preps Tribute To 60's, 70's Sounds
By Mike Winslow 2.2.09 - Freestyle Fellowship member Aceyalone has announced the second installment to his creative series of recordings that pay homage to various genres of music. The upcoming album Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones pays tribute to Phil Spector’s famed “Wall of Sound” recording technique, as well as the rapper’s various personal influences, including the sound of Doo-Wop, Blues and Funk. The album is the follow up to 2007’s Lightening Strikes, which paid homage to Aceyalone’s love for Jamaican music. Aceyalone and Bionil attempt to authentically recreate the sounds associated with each genre represented on the album. A representative for the rapper described the album as having a “full big-band sound….coupled with finger snaps, falsetto choruses and Rickenbacker guitar that is a look more towards Motown & the Wall of Sound than today’s by-the-numbers beats.” The release was co-produced by Bionik, who also produced Lighting Strikes in its entirety. Aceyalone & The Lonely Ones is due in stores March 31. ( info provided by AllHipHop.com ) |
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February 1st News |
American, Japanese pop culture meld in 'Afro Samurai'
By Charles Solomon this story was provided by www.latimes.com Assassins attempt to ambush a tall figure with a towering mop of black hair:
They covet his ancient headband that identifies the wearer as the No. 1 warrior
in the world. A long sword flashes as the dark-skinned samurai silently hacks
through his enemies' limbs and skulls. Having reduced his assailants to human
sashimi, he walks on, accompanied on the soundtrack by low-pitched rap
lyrics. "When the producers asked me if I wanted to be involved in continuing the 'Afro' saga, I said, 'Definitely,' " he said in a telephone interview. "I feel my saga is similar to his: For an artist in the hip-hop world, the idea of being the No. 1 producer, the No. 1 rapper, the No. 1 kid in the neighborhood is very important. I feel like I'm Afro Samurai -- as a producer and rapper. "When I started Wu-Tang Clan, we used that name because it was the best sword style known: The idea was that we were a sword family," RZA continued. "So Afro Samurai's focus on being the No. 1 samurai swinging his sword is really in keeping with the philosophy the members of Wu-Tang talked about in our lyrics." Ian Condry, an assistant professor of Japanese cultural studies at MIT and the author of "Hip-Hop Japan," said, "It's not surprising that rappers and samurai go together. They both believe in honor and loyalty. They both represent where they come from. They both battle for supremacy through the strength of their skills." "Afro Samurai" is not the first Japanese animated series to fuse hip-hop and samurai culture. The most famous example of this cultural cross-pollination is Sinichiro Watanabe's "Samurai Champloo" (2004), an outrageous comedy-adventure that features Tokugawa-era rappers, ink-brush tagging, Hiroshima homeboys and swordfights using break-dance moves. In an interview conducted via e-mail, Watanabe said, "I've been interested in hip-hop since it first appeared. I believe samurai in the Edo period and modern hip-hop artists have something in common: Rappers open the way to their future with the microphone; samurai decided their fate with the sword." The rigors of Bushido, the "way of the warrior" practiced by historic samurai, may seem at odds with the spontaneous appeal of hip-hop. But RZA explained that achieving excellence as a hip-hop artist can be as demanding as traditional martial-arts disciplines. "Most martial arts take about 10 years for the participant to grasp any real style. I've been a lyricist for over 20 years. I'm definitely a master of lyrics, but it took a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of practice and a lot of battles," he said. "I would say I live by the principles of martial arts, but I couldn't call myself a practitioner of any specific art. In 'The Book of the Five Rings,' Miyamoto Musashi describes a sword style that can be applied to mind and body: You can fight a guy sword on sword, but the same principles can be applied if the conflict is thought on thought, army on army or word on word. In that context, I consider myself a martial artist." RZA also looked to the way Japanese composers approach samurai films when he scored "Afro Samurai: Resurrection." Blood and gore fly across the screen during the fast-paced fight scenes. But instead of blasting the audience with percussion and brass, RZA plays the action against low-key rapping. "I feel that if you slow the tempo of the music while an actor is getting crazy, it gives a different cadence to the action -- it makes the actor appear to be moving faster and more powerfully," he explained. "In Chinese kung fu movies, they fight with a lot of sound effects and music, but in Japanese samurai films, there's often total silence -- you don't get music until after the fight. That made me realize, in some instances, silence can be a form of music." Condry summed up the cross-cultural appeal of "Resurrection": " 'Afro Samurai' captures the vibrancy of an underground culture that flows internationally -- hip-hop and anime both travel through complicated vectors of cool. It shows that a fusion of styles can mean more than identity, and how the circulation of media and culture produces fascinating hybrids." calendar@latimes.com |
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May 18th 2009 News |
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What happened to hip hop on the radio? by Mike Andrews This article may highlight my age and my regional preference; but it's definitely important to the topic at hand. Seriously though; what happened to hip hop on the radio? What happened to the days where you actually listened to the radio for new and exciting music. What happened to "urban" radio, PERIOD? I understand that our infatuation with the radio naturally faded in our teenage years when other things became more important; hanging out with friends, girls/boys, jobs/money, life. But evenso...have you listened to the radio latey? I won't even place an adjective on it. I'll just give the facts: I listened to the radio on Saturday while running errands, etc. In a matter of 5 hours, I heard "Blame it" by Jamie Foxx 3 times. I heard "Kiss me through the Phone," Soulja Boy 2 times, and "Live Ya Life" by T.I. 2 times. Does anyone else think this is ridiculous? Additionally, there were approximately 1.5 hours of commercials and radio banter in a matter of 5+ hours. How long has it been like this? When my generation listened to the radio in the 80s and 90s, was it this way? Were we just as blind in our pre-teen/teen years as radio listeners of today. I remember my aunts and uncles (older adults at the time) listening to the radio with as much enthusiasm as I did as a young boy. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY in the 80s; the radio was our guide to hip hop. The radio told us what was dope...toLd us what was wack. The radio actually played good music. Hip hop was so ingrained into the cultural fabric of Brooklyn in the 80s, that they didn't necessarily have to play "rap" all day, but it was still hip hop.You can't understand unless you were there: 10:00 pm on a Friday night on 98.7 KISS-FM in 1988 was like Barrack Obama election rallies on your block. It was just that serious! The "urban" radio stations in the Baltimore/Metro DC area: 92.3 WERQ, 93.9 WKYS, 95.5 WPGC all follow the same format. WERQ possibly has the most variety and "freshness." They still have their top 10 playlist of songs that they play once every 2 hours, but WERQ seems to go deeper into albums and play songs that aren't currently on the "playlist." Honestly, I can't and don't listen to the radio much anymore. Is the radio necessary anymore, with ITunes and digital music, blogs and other websites dropping new music and albums. Will the radio be the new magazine/newspaper industry? Are the "youngans" still listening to the radio? Is the radio just for them? And beleive me; I'm not trying to hurt the radio industry or take food out of any radio personality's mouth...I'm just listing some clear observations. |
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May 5th 2009 News |
Breakin' Conventionby Sanjoy Roy Every spring, Sadler's Wells has a mayfly moment. For one weekend, its foyers fill with youngsters and newcomers. The reason? The Breakin' Convention festival, which transforms the theatre into a house of hip-hop. Programmed and compered by Jonzi D, it is a refreshingly inclusive platform, hosting companies "from around the world, and around the corner", as eager to show off hip-hop's dance credentials as it is willing to challenge them. All-male combo Peridot are the slickest outfit on the opening-night programme, fine-tuned to every scratch, slide and skip in the music. The detail is incredible, and they seem to be able to pause and rewind at will. Their set is chock-full of sharp choreographic ideas, too; it's almost overstimulating. Legends of the Underground, meanwhile, is simply too much. A 3D film (we all wear special specs) shows CGI superheroes zooming over the stage, while hordes of dancers rush across it - all overwhelmed by relentless set pieces, a portentous storyline and whizz-bang special effects. Less, please. Veteran New Yorker Ken Swift and his company bring a demonstration of old-style rocking to 70s music. If they can't match the astonishing technical heights of today's youth, their fun and funkiness impart a welcome human touch. Another American old-timer is Mr Wiggles, a master of musical mime, each bodily ripple telling a rhythmic story. French Compagnie Revolution round off with a piece of arty contemporary dance zinged up with hip-hop inflections, which clearly mystifies some of the audience. Sometimes it works well - three dancers twining into a single, many-tentacled beast; sometimes, as with the Martha Graham-style floorwork to Ravel's Bolero, it really doesn't. But it's breaking convention, and it belongs here. |
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March 1st 2009 News |
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Reebok Teams Up With Hip-Hop Artists For Classic Remix Line Sneaker company Reebok has partnered with Chicago hip-hop duo Kidz In The Hall for their upcoming Classic Remix collection, created from their classic footwear styles. |
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Hip Hop rumor mill sheds light on STDs by Douglas C. Lyons Genital herpes made it back in the news. The three became embroiled in a spate of bad publicity last weekend when Brown allegedly assaulted Rihanna the night before the Grammys. Brown allegedly
punched and bit his girlfriend during an argument in their rented Lamborghini.
He was later arrested. Their romance may be history, we think. Strange things
happen to couples in these kind of disputes, as anyone in law enforcement will
tell you. |
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2009 Paid Dues Festival Lineup
2.1.09 - MURS 3:16 IN ASSOCIATION WITH GUERILLA UNION PRESENT 4th ANNUAL "PAID DUES" INDEPENDENT HIP-HOP FESTIVAL |
