Don't Panik! Islam and Europe's 'Hip Hop Wars' || Al Jazeera

Three months ago, just as the French presidential campaign was heating up, the rapper Kery James uploaded a track titled “Letter to the Republic” (“Lettre à la République”) explaining what he and youth in the banlieues thought of the republic’s political class, or as he described them, “Pillagers of wealth, murderers of Africans, torturers of Algerians / The colonial past is yours, you chose to link your history to ours.”

The track promptly provoked public outrage; the far-right group, Le Bloc Identitaire, tried to cancel James’ concert tour, its spokesperson calling on the rapper - a Guadeloupe-born convert - to leave France and move to a “Muslim land”….

The debate over hip hop, Europe’s dominant youth culture, stands in for a much larger debate about race, immigration and national identity. With many of the biggest stars being Muslim, the disputes over which Muslim hip hop artists are “moderate” or “radical” are also disagreements over what kind of Islam to allow into the public space. As European state officials decide what “hip hop policy” to adopt, American embassies on the continent have slowly inserted themselves into this delicate dance between European governments and their hip hop counter-publics.

Hip hop is at the heart of US embassies’ outreach to Muslim communities. Farah Pandith, the State Department’s special representative to Muslim communities, has argued that hip hop can convey a “different narrative” to counter the foreign “violent ideology” that youth are exposed to. American rap artists are invited to perform at embassies in Europe. Local artists are invited to the embassy. The US ambassador to France has sponsored hip hop conferences, inviting French rappers to his residence, including the controversial K.ommando Toxik (who, at the US embassy, performed a tribute to two boys who were killed by the French police in November 2007, an incident that triggered a wave of riots).

This debate over hip hop is playing out most poignantly in France, the country with the largest Muslim community in Europe, the second largest hip hop market in the world and a place whose traditions of laïcité (secularism) aggressively restrict expressions of religion in the public sphere.

After the French riots of 2005, French MPs called on the government to prosecute seven rap groups whose lyrics had allegedly incited youth to violence. The artists were acquitted, but the French government began investing more heavily in hip hop - at the local and national level, sponsoring concerts and funding local institutions in troubled neighbourhoods - in an effort to recognise marginalised cultures and identities, but also to foster a hip hop conducive to integration.

It’s not clear, however, what kind of hip hop best aids integration, and which rappers to invite to the Grand Palais. Successful hip hop artists rarely appreciate being held up by politicians as models of successful integration, often because government validation separates them from their base - and creates tension between rappers approved by the state and those who are not. Precisely this process is occurring in France, as seen in the interplay between Abd Al Malik and Médine.

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Conductor Makes Philharmonic Debut With Sufi Poetry and Celestial Yearnings - NYT

When he wrote this work, Szymanowski was equally entranced by musical Impressionism and Eastern mysticism, especially the allegorical love poems of the Sufi poet Hafiz.

Rising Rapper Azad Right - Aslan Media

In an industry where “college dropout” maintains currency, musical artist “Azad Right” takes no interest in perpetuating the image of an uneducated rapper. Currently pursuing a degree in Political Science at UC Irvine and an internship at Interscope Records in his native Los Angeles, he has developed an uncompromising confidence to pursue a career built on his musical passion.

With the release of his debut EP, A Piece of Mine, Azad Right delivers a Hip Hop manifesto that pleases both ear and mind. Revolving around the themes of authenticity and self-reliance, he paints an intimate portrait of a young man who, like many of us, seeks to find a balance between love, friends, and success. In the process, he sparks a conversation with the listener, connecting introspective lyrics and upbeat rhythms to form a well-produced track. “If you give me your ear”, he explains in a song, “I will l give you my heart”.

But behind the Ray Bans and cool, commanding voice is Azad Naficy: an Iranian-American with big dreams and a worn-out notepad. Son to the esteemed poet Majid Naficy, Azad’s creative pursuits were fostered at a young age which saw instruction in the piano and violin. Uniquely, these skills would serve as the backdrop for an eventual transition into Hip Hop, where he has used a classical understanding of harmony to transform the microphone into an instrument for expression and thought. Now, at age 22, he hopes to introduce himself to the world.

Azad Right took some time to chat with Aslan Media about his music, life, and identity as an Iranian-Americanrapper on the rise

Read interview here

The Dying Beat of the Dhol Drum [Video] - India Unheard

‘Dhol’ players are not performing as much anymore in Gairsen because of a preference for recorded music.

Luxmi says that the sound of the dhol is something she has always associated with celebration, festivity and big community occasions. The dhol is a large barrel-shaped drum made from a shell of hollowed-out mango or sheesham wood, with the sides made from goatskin. The rhythms created by beating on the drum with a cane and a wooden stick are what make this percussion instrument unique, and there are twelve different beats which are played on different occasions.

Sadly, pop music and recorded CDs of Punjabi bhangra music is slowly replacing the live dhol drumming at weddings and other functions. The drummers, who typically belong to the Dalit caste, are not given much respect or appreciation, and the job is considered a lowly one. In search for other employment, several dhol players have left Uttarakhand and are working in the army, in hotels or as drivers in big cities.

“I don’t want this to happen, as it is just another part of our culture that will disappear. I grew up hearing the dhol but I never realised its importance in our culture until now, when I don’t hear it as often anymore,” says Luxmi. Recently, a lecturer at Luxmi’s university, Dr. D. R Purohit, started researching and investigating the dhol traditions, and has actively been promoting it since. Luxmi hopes he will be able to get his message across to the rest of the community and that the dhol players will have a regular income again.

Rebel Through HipHop - MashaAllah News

In the midst of the ongoing Revolution, Egyptian hip hop group Arabian Knightz has released Rebel, the first song to come out of Egypt since January 25 and the internet blackout. It was released immediately when internet services were restored, in a raw, unmixed version because, due to the uncertainty of the communications situation, they wanted the song to be out as soon as possible. The world needs to hear their message. As of right now, it is people like them who carry the voice of Egyptians.

Arabian Knightz is a Cairo-based rap outfit comprised of emcees Rush, Sphinx and Money, and they record music with both Arabic and English lyrics. Their newest track Rebel is an emotionally empowering song produced by Iron Curtain and featuring a sample of Lauryn Hill on the hook. It captures the heart, courage and spirit of the Egyptian people currently embattled in fighting for their country. The debut album of Arabian Knightz, Uknighted State of Arabia, is set for a mid-2011 release. Mashallah had a talk with Sphinx and Rush about the track.