THAWRA MUSIC: Hip Hop & The Arab Spring

Behold, the power of Hip Hop.

MSNBC’s report regarding Hip Hop’s influence on the Arab Spring is mindblowing. It proves that the very idea of Hip Hop as an artform crosses all ethnic, religious, economic and geographical boundaries. Hip Hop is about speaking truth to power and holding it accountable. Hip Hop is about relaying your story, and the stories of your peers, without pretense and without a filter.

Hip Hop is about giving a voice to the voiceless.

Hip Hop is also dangerous. Many of these young Arab emcees face the threat of jailtime simply for emceeing, regardless of the content of their work. Still, Hip Hop songs are becoming anthems for the young Arab men and women that have taken to the streets over the course of this past year.

According to The Grio, “Hip-hop has become synonymous with ‘thawra’, meaning revolution, in the Arab world,” spreading from country to country, and embodying in form and content the rebellion raging in the streets, and the hopes and dreams of an entire generation.

For an intense music fan and Hip Hop head like myself, it’s damn-near impossible to describe the awe-inspiring beauty in such a development. Because it’s just further proof of what true diehards have always known about this transgressive music and culture.

The most amazing thing about Hip Hop is that, at its core, and at its most pure, Hip Hop is bigger than fame, money, MTV, or any Record Label on the planet.

Hip-hop music is rebel music.

Click here to check out some clips from MSNBC’s report on Hip Hop and The Arab Spring.