"Gimme a mic and you'll see how good we go together, like Lewinsky and Clinton." This lyric from one of Tamer's raps (from Channels of Rage) is obviously striking, because I think it goes without saying that Lewinsky and Clinton did not go well together. Their affair caused an arguably unprecedented amount of controversy, particularly in relation to American politics. Americans began questioning the morals of their president and their government. But this lyric is nonetheless very telling: perhaps Tamer is implying that controversy is a good thing. It gets people talking about issues that might otherwise be swept under the rug. As a Palestinian, he has often been politically ignored and left without a voice so to speak, so in "giving him a mic" and allowing him to voice his opinions, the public is forced to pay attention to these issues that often aren't told from the Palestinian standpoint.
Rap is not only a means to expose issues within one's community to others, but it also can expose issues within one's own society. In this case, Palestinian rappers are not only commenting on Israeli politics and the conflict, but they also focus upon honor killings, which is a very controversial issue within Arab society. In the Middle East, the topic of honor killings is avoided, which is why I think it's amazing that this group (DAM) rapped so bluntly about the subject and even made a music video of a fictional honor killing. The only way to stop these human rights abuses that are so complexly linked with culture is to raise awareness and educate the public of their prevalence. "We feel that when there is a crime against a woman, it is seen as the end of the story...it is just another death. A death justified merely by the fact of being a girl."
In the Global Post article, I found the comparison between Tamer and Tupac to be very striking. Not only did both use rap music as a means to convey political messages to youth, but they were/are both minorities living among majorities in their communities. And both used music as a means to "escape the realities" in which they were living. It's funny to think of how much rap has evolved: one could say, generally speaking, that today rap is more so about showing off material goods, partying, or insulting other rappers, etc. (Generally speaking. I know there are numerous exceptions.) However, I think it's safe to say that rap historically began as a form of rebellion against society, especially in the United States, and that it is very much still used in this way, but on a more "underground" level. For example, rap with political messages often isn't played on the radio. Just something to think about.
Rap is not only a means to expose issues within one's community to others, but it also can expose issues within one's own society. In this case, Palestinian rappers are not only commenting on Israeli politics and the conflict, but they also focus upon honor killings, which is a very controversial issue within Arab society. In the Middle East, the topic of honor killings is avoided, which is why I think it's amazing that this group (DAM) rapped so bluntly about the subject and even made a music video of a fictional honor killing. The only way to stop these human rights abuses that are so complexly linked with culture is to raise awareness and educate the public of their prevalence. "We feel that when there is a crime against a woman, it is seen as the end of the story...it is just another death. A death justified merely by the fact of being a girl."
In the Global Post article, I found the comparison between Tamer and Tupac to be very striking. Not only did both use rap music as a means to convey political messages to youth, but they were/are both minorities living among majorities in their communities. And both used music as a means to "escape the realities" in which they were living. It's funny to think of how much rap has evolved: one could say, generally speaking, that today rap is more so about showing off material goods, partying, or insulting other rappers, etc. (Generally speaking. I know there are numerous exceptions.) However, I think it's safe to say that rap historically began as a form of rebellion against society, especially in the United States, and that it is very much still used in this way, but on a more "underground" level. For example, rap with political messages often isn't played on the radio. Just something to think about.
Great post! I totally agree; rap which is about nothing but sex and cars and brand names is a far cry from where it (the genre) originated. While the politically-charged songs may help the rapper escape/deal with reality, they confront the listener with that reality. Which is probably why we don't hear as many of them as the materialistic tunes. One can't easily check-out and just mindlessly enjoy songs about injustice and displacement.
ReplyDelete