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This edition of Shahadat's Exploring Popular Literature Series is a special issue on hip hop, edited by Rayya El Zein. The issue functions as liner notes to an album filled with radical potential, and features translations of sixteen hip hop tracks by artists from Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, and the Arab diaspora. Ranging from the highly political to the contemplative, these songs offer listeners and readers insight into the hopes and critiques of a generation of contemporary Arab hip hop artists.
Citation preview
1
Winter 2012
32
ArteEast is a leading international arts organization presenting work by contemporary artists from the Middle East North Africa and the diaspora Founded in 2003 as a New York based not-for-profit organization ArteEast supports and promotes artists by raising awareness of their most significant and groundbreaking work and by bringing this work to the widest possible audience We do this through public events art exhibitions film screenings international touring programs a dynamic virtual gallery and a resource-rich website Partnering with some of the most prestigious cultural institutions around the world mdash such as The Museum of Modern Art Tate Modern and the Sharjah Art Foundation mdash ArteEastrsquos film visual arts and literary programs reach thousands of new audiences each year
The organization is committed to bringing the highest quality and form of artistic content on multiple platforms Our innovative use of technology and partnerships to present programs that are highly mobile rather than bound to a particular physical space make us one of the most nimble cutting-edge art organizations today ArteEast is also consistently providing relevant context so that audiences can fully appreciate the work that is being presented
wwwarteeastorg
January 2012 New York
Exploring Popular Literature Series
hip hop
Edited by Rayya El Zein
54
Media Moments
In early December ABCrsquos icon of vetted journalism Barbara Walters sat down with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on an exclusive episode of Nightline Assadrsquos soft-spoken polite almost gentle performance in the interview he staged with Walters playing Master of Ceremonies induced mild but notable reactions Therersquos a ldquodisconnectrdquo the US State Department declared between what Assad says and the situation in Syria Walters herself seemed shocked at his presentable demeanor describing him upon her return from Damascus as ldquocalmrdquo ldquosoft-spokenrdquo and ldquoarticulaterdquo She further stressed during the introduction to the piece that Assad spoke ldquovery good Englishrdquo and ldquoanswered every questionrdquo Impressive it seems for an accused Arab dictator
What is overwhelmingly unsettling in Walterrsquos episode of Nightline is that it assumes certain qualities of chaos both in Damascus and in the person of the Syrian president that would stipulate the understandable conditions of civil unrest Damascus markets are stocked people shop ldquoonlyrdquo the ldquohigh-endrdquo stores are feeling the pinch Assad is polite he answers her questions invites her in Where are the snipers The rape attempts The crying children in the shadows What ABC and Walters cringingly fail to highlight is in fact the glaring normalcy of the brutality of Assadrsquos regime
Further the first US television journalist inside Syria since the nine-month-old uprising began showcased one voice almost exclusively that of the disconnected president Walters did not go though she did send a correspondent to Deraa the town where protests started in March There a bewildered Alex Marquardt wondered why Assadrsquos promise to go anywhere he wanted (accompanied by an 8-car motorcade) was not kept or why when permitted to meander through the streets on his own no one would talk to him Without an official at the other end of the mic and
save one brave manrsquos hushed testimony ABCrsquos mics picked up only silence A journalistic venture designed to shine light on a country in distress instead gave the stage to its president and the insights we glean are that he doesnrsquot really seem crazy at least not like we thought hersquod be
But if a startling lack of imagination with regards to power and human nature especially vis-agrave-vis Arab leaders is one aspect of the problematic Western media coverage and an almost complete dearth of voices from the actual Arab street is another these are not the only shortcomings with consequences for understanding a fuller picture of a dynamic Arab world
Earlier in 2011 TIME magazine named Hamada Ben Amor the Tunisian rapper better known as El Geacuteneacuteral one of the top 100 most influential people of the year singling out his track ldquoMr Presidentrdquo (ldquoRais LeBledrdquo) which was critical of Ben Alirsquos regime as an inciting force of the Tunisian Revolution It is but one example of heightened attention paid to hip hop and rap in the Arab world since the so-called ldquoArab Springrdquo began In July the BBC asked ldquoIs Hip Hop Driving the Arab Springrdquo in an article reminiscent of those in months earlier which debated the role of Facebook and Twitter in the realization of the Egyptian Revolution Both are facile treatments that should be quickly (and if necessary constantly) reassessed
There is a danger in a non-critical focus of Western media on the recent spike however significant in Arabic hip hop during a time of political revolution US and European politicians canrsquot seem to get a grip on The New York Times and others in the months after Hosni Mubarakrsquos abdication from the presidency in Egypt attributed significance to Massachusetts-based retired professor Gene Sharprsquos pamphlet ldquoFrom Dictatorship to Democracyrdquo in the political strategies of Egyptian activists despite the fact that many in Egypt found this claim simply ludicrous if not overtly manipulative The urge to attribute success
from the Editorto Sharprsquos document stems not entirely from an attempt to ldquoWesternizerdquo the revolution but to ldquoglobalizerdquo it Sharprsquos piece is not an exciting story necessarily because it was written by an American but because his tract is understood to have had currency in regime changes from Burma to Ukraine since the late 1990s
A similar instinct is at play in the attribution of efficacy to hip hop in the Arab revolutions in 2011 Hip hop though it sprung from specifically US environs has become a global phenomenon These two approaches taken by US and European press illustrate that an old neocolonial danger remains It may be summed up as such hip hop is a tool for understanding the rhythm of the revolting Arab street because it is a ldquoWesternrdquo and familiar form That danger however has morphed hip hop is a tool for understanding the rhythm of the revolting Arab street because it is a ldquoglobalrdquo and therefore significant form The trap of course lies in this notion of ldquoglobalrdquo that is notorious for substituting simple sweeping narratives at the expense of the local And in the ease with which one can replace ldquoWesternizedrdquo with ldquoglobalizedrdquo
The challenge then for a responsible look at both the changing Arab street and hip hop on and in it is to strive for a compassionate understanding that places the local within global flows It lies in an understanding of ldquocontemporaryrdquo that is not exclusively ldquoWesternrdquo or ldquoOrientalrdquo and an understanding of networks that is not only ldquoglobalrdquo nor ldquolocalrdquo The potential benefit for a responsible critical reading of this material is an understanding of ldquothe Arab streetrdquo which consistently evades commercial media and by extension popular conception in the ldquoWestrdquo
It is with this in mind that I am proud to present the following issue of Shahadat The Winter 2012 issue features the work of 16 MCs or collectives from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the Arab diaspora in Arabic and English and in English translation It represents the extensive collaboration of 10 translators An interactive publication that hosts the music along with its lyrics it is the first experiment of its kind for ArteEast and to our knowledge the first document of its kind on the web
Street Talk
It is not just theoretically important that ears outside the Arab world hear and understand the voices of more of those within it The means of articulation and the words themselves displace the dominant media narrative in substantial practical ways In an age of a seemingly infinite ldquoWar on Terrorrdquo whose main weapons mask aggressive humiliation techniques as ldquodefensiverdquo security hip hop in Arabic opens a place for an important assertion of dignity by young Arab men who demographically bear the brunt of these expanded security tactics Assertions of pride and respectability take different forms from overt political critique to declarations of identity to calls to lyrical arms to provocations of other poets and MCs One of the most significant things about hip hop in Arabic is that it is projecting images of dignified (articulate proud well-read compassionate astute critical) young masculinity to thirsty listeners at home and abroad
But neither is the genre nor the collection featured here homogeneous in terms of gender Young women have nearly from the beginning of the scene been a part of the construction of this field Also particularly noteworthy (not because of their ethnic or religious background but because of the history of hip hop and rap in the West) is how adamantly young Arab male MCs eschew and challenge misogyny in both their content and performances
This should not suggest that hip hop creates an ideal or egalitarian playing field for Arab men and women Social stigma has made it
The potential benefit for a responsible critical reading of this material is an understanding of ldquothe Arab streetrdquo which consistently evades commercial media and by extension popular conception in the ldquoWestrdquo
76
especially difficult for women to break through cultural stereotypes and dogma (though a handful have notably Malikah based in Lebanon Shadia Mansour (featured in the collection) and Abeer alias Sabreena da Witch) I find it safe to presume that when young Arab women break into the genre in greater numbers or find their own methods to voice political and social critiques reclamations of dignity collective and individual will be at the top of the list of significant effects
The second critically important antidote to mainstream media that these voices provide is the true cornucopia of social grievances they cite and political critiques they offer The 16 tracks featured here take on variously the Muslim Brotherhood greed and corruption poverty and hunger inefficacy of NGOs betrayal of and by fellow Arabs (notably the ldquobrain drainrdquo phenomenon which has seen young Arabs across the region relocate overseas in hopes of greater opportunity) capitalism sectarianism and religious extremism in addition to Western colonialism and the policies of the state of Israel towards Palestinians
The letters they address to the world in each track should make it harder and harder to believe that all Arabs all Muslims or all Egyptians Palestinians or otherwise are set on the destruction of ldquothe Westrdquo at the expense of critical thinking about the local economies and systems of government that have also failed them
Not just the content but the form of these articulations showcases a way of seeing the world of processing it and of asserting oneself in it that young people globally will identify with This is vitally important as a new generation comes to terms with itself internationally it will have to decide how much of the old divisions of ldquousrdquo and ldquothemrdquo it wishes to retain The work of these artists and their colleagues worldwide has the potential to remind listeners how alike they are and how arbitrary national and ethnic divisions can be
A Bigger Picture
It is true that hip hop does not have a long history in the Arab world It is however older than 12 or even 15 months first taking root in North Africa in the early 1990s and in Palestine several years later just before the Second Intifada The largest markets and scenes for hip hop in the Arab world have long been in Morocco Algeria and Palestine and lately in Lebanon
Incidentally these countries are rarely the focus of recent press which hails an explosion of Arabic hip hop in recent months Similarly despite the many creative hypotheses posited in English-language press about catalysts and influences of the Arab Spring the very real history of popular resistance in Palestine (ie the Intifadas of the late 1990s and mid 2000s) is hardly ever mentioned as a probable influence of the popular Arab revolutions of this year
distinct sounds of each artist or collaboration and the musical traditions from which they borrow from funk to electronica and in between
The rhythms and flows vary too in some places the impact of the political critique comes as much from the aural quality as from the lyrical content The rhythm of Fareeq el Atrashrsquos ldquoThe Stars are Getting Closerrdquo (ldquoNjoom 3am Tersquorabrdquo) for example
الكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
with its sustained rhythm of repeated syllables at the ends of phrases and its almost flippant characterizations of a musicianrsquos routine is distinctly different from the defiant declaration of MC Gaza in his piece with Arabian Knightz and Ameer ldquoHand in Handrdquo (ldquoEid fi Eidrdquo)
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطي
Which is also very different from the imaginative poetic (and humorous) play on words and political critique in El Rassrsquos
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري
Each of the artists featured here manipulates sound and meaning in unique and fiercely creative ways making of the genre a distinct form of popular poetry
One of the most compelling political components of the genre is how powerful rather simple declarations of preference or identity can be or become These take on overt incarnations as in Offendumrsquos celebratory ldquoDestinyrdquo H2Zrsquos figurative ldquoI am Palestinianrdquo (ldquoAna Falasteenirdquo) or more subtle declarations of preference as in Ramallah Undergroundrsquos ldquoI am trying not to care but politics pulls at merdquo in the track ldquoFrom the Caverdquo (ldquoMin el Kaheffrdquo) Private processings of a public world linger in nearly all the pieces It is from these subject positions and thousands
of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
The implicit and explicit declarations of identity in Arabic hip hop is perhaps also especially noteworthy because they are immediately noticeable All the tracks featured here are predominantly in dialect (Egyptian Lebanese Syrian Palestinian) and not in the standard modern or classical Arabic typically broadcast across national borders Moreover the political critiques they offer are especially specific some relying almost entirely on subtext to carry meaning across The translations alongside them then should make equally useful learning tools for students of Arabic language as those of culture politics and art
But if anything comes from hearing and reading these texts simultaneously it should be a reevaluation of the question of ldquomodernizationrdquo or ldquoWesternizationrdquo in our contemporary moment Facile readings from both sides will call these works ldquoWesternizations of Arab culturerdquo or ldquoOrientalizations of Western culturerdquo In reality they are neither If they feel modern or more specifically postmodern (and they undoubtedly are - the articulations of identity mentioned above are almost always manifest as split or double) it is because they were written and are performed in our contemporary moment not because they encompass more or less of one part of the globe And if the pieces feel Arab (and they undoubtedly will) it is because they are Arab too
One of the most important but embarrassingly obvious implications then is that the two are completely conceivable within the same body within the same text in the same exact moment They are not opposite not a give and take followed by synthesis The tracks and the artists are both Many Multitude Concurrently East and West After all what is East What is West
Rayya El ZeinNew York
It is from these subject positions and thousands of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
Denying the influences of US rap on hip hop in Arabic or of the Internet (Facebook Twitter) on the events of the past twelve months is futile But if a productive dialogue between the Middle East and West is to be created we must also learn to listen to local histories and to hear regional catalysts
Politics and Aesthetics
Shared political concerns hardly confine the range of creative impulses within the genre The tracks collected in this issue explore a range of thematic considerations as well as aesthetic choices Most bear implicit if not explicit (and here we see a healthy range) of political critiques Indeed the aesthetic choices of rhythm melody when appropriate and beat become political choices in and of themselves In this collection we have tried to illustrate a wide gamut of approaches and rhythms Listeners will undoubtedly note the
98
This issue of Shahadat is an interactive experiment and a virtual media work in progress It is designed for multiple audiences from the aspiring poet and critic to the classroom to established fans and everything in-between
Download all the tracks featured in this issue and absorb the various layers of sound rhythm politics and poetry at your own leisure
Or download the pdf of this document and listen as you go The green button on each page starts the track the red button pauses Click above the set of buttons and a small media player will appear which allows one to navigate through the track at will These interactive features only function if you download the pdf of this document The
Note for Mac users if you are viewing the downloaded pdf the tracks will stop playing at the flip of the page To reactivate sound click in the upper left hand corner of each two-page
spread (Hovering should produce a text box that says ldquoclick to activaterdquo) A small player will appear with which the track can be navigated Be sure to open with Adobe Reader not Apple Preview for interactive functions
Flip through the virtual publication in the order wersquove suggested or find your favorite track in the table of contents on the opposite page and click on the title to be led directly to it
We appreciate your feedback (and your patience) as we experiment with new forms of media while exploring the various incarnations of popular literature in the Middle East and North Africa
how to use this Document table of Contents
Editorrsquos Remarks 4
From the Cave | Ramallah Underground 10
Rise Egyptian | El Deeb + Edd 16
Not Your Prisoner | Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour 24
Ignite | Boikutt 30
I am Palestinian | H2Z 36
Kufeyyeh Arabeyyeh | Shadia Mansour 40
Destiny | Omar Offendum 46
What Happened Yesterday | Stormtrap 54
Brass | The Narcicyst 60
Beirutrsquos Volcano | El Rass 64
A Letter from Boikutt | Boikutt 70
Hold Me Back If You Can | Katibeh 5 74
Hand in Hand | Arabian Knightz + MC Gaza + Ameer 82
Addiction to Fame | El Deeb + Stormtrap 88
The Stars are Getting Closer | Fareeq el Atrash 94
Words | DAM 100
Further Reading 106
About the Artists 108
About the Translators 111
1110
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
نازل العب باملوت بدي اعرف ايش عدد املوت هون
مش سامع وال صوت اطفي التلفون
اسأل ألنو وال حد سائل سواءا سياسي أو دوبلوماسي
قاعدين على هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا رؤوسهم و بتمددووالبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم
ألنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
I am going to play with death
I wanna know the death count here
I canrsquot hear a sound
Turn off your phone
Ask because no one else has
Whether politicians or diplomats
Theyrsquore planted in their seats
Chatting
They relax rest their heads
While homes in Lebanon and Gaza are leveled
The time has come to screw the world
Because theyrsquoll keep talking without ever doing anything
Why would we keep holding on waiting hoping
But for nothing They forgot about us a while ago
from tمن الكهف he cave
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
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3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
32
ArteEast is a leading international arts organization presenting work by contemporary artists from the Middle East North Africa and the diaspora Founded in 2003 as a New York based not-for-profit organization ArteEast supports and promotes artists by raising awareness of their most significant and groundbreaking work and by bringing this work to the widest possible audience We do this through public events art exhibitions film screenings international touring programs a dynamic virtual gallery and a resource-rich website Partnering with some of the most prestigious cultural institutions around the world mdash such as The Museum of Modern Art Tate Modern and the Sharjah Art Foundation mdash ArteEastrsquos film visual arts and literary programs reach thousands of new audiences each year
The organization is committed to bringing the highest quality and form of artistic content on multiple platforms Our innovative use of technology and partnerships to present programs that are highly mobile rather than bound to a particular physical space make us one of the most nimble cutting-edge art organizations today ArteEast is also consistently providing relevant context so that audiences can fully appreciate the work that is being presented
wwwarteeastorg
January 2012 New York
Exploring Popular Literature Series
hip hop
Edited by Rayya El Zein
54
Media Moments
In early December ABCrsquos icon of vetted journalism Barbara Walters sat down with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on an exclusive episode of Nightline Assadrsquos soft-spoken polite almost gentle performance in the interview he staged with Walters playing Master of Ceremonies induced mild but notable reactions Therersquos a ldquodisconnectrdquo the US State Department declared between what Assad says and the situation in Syria Walters herself seemed shocked at his presentable demeanor describing him upon her return from Damascus as ldquocalmrdquo ldquosoft-spokenrdquo and ldquoarticulaterdquo She further stressed during the introduction to the piece that Assad spoke ldquovery good Englishrdquo and ldquoanswered every questionrdquo Impressive it seems for an accused Arab dictator
What is overwhelmingly unsettling in Walterrsquos episode of Nightline is that it assumes certain qualities of chaos both in Damascus and in the person of the Syrian president that would stipulate the understandable conditions of civil unrest Damascus markets are stocked people shop ldquoonlyrdquo the ldquohigh-endrdquo stores are feeling the pinch Assad is polite he answers her questions invites her in Where are the snipers The rape attempts The crying children in the shadows What ABC and Walters cringingly fail to highlight is in fact the glaring normalcy of the brutality of Assadrsquos regime
Further the first US television journalist inside Syria since the nine-month-old uprising began showcased one voice almost exclusively that of the disconnected president Walters did not go though she did send a correspondent to Deraa the town where protests started in March There a bewildered Alex Marquardt wondered why Assadrsquos promise to go anywhere he wanted (accompanied by an 8-car motorcade) was not kept or why when permitted to meander through the streets on his own no one would talk to him Without an official at the other end of the mic and
save one brave manrsquos hushed testimony ABCrsquos mics picked up only silence A journalistic venture designed to shine light on a country in distress instead gave the stage to its president and the insights we glean are that he doesnrsquot really seem crazy at least not like we thought hersquod be
But if a startling lack of imagination with regards to power and human nature especially vis-agrave-vis Arab leaders is one aspect of the problematic Western media coverage and an almost complete dearth of voices from the actual Arab street is another these are not the only shortcomings with consequences for understanding a fuller picture of a dynamic Arab world
Earlier in 2011 TIME magazine named Hamada Ben Amor the Tunisian rapper better known as El Geacuteneacuteral one of the top 100 most influential people of the year singling out his track ldquoMr Presidentrdquo (ldquoRais LeBledrdquo) which was critical of Ben Alirsquos regime as an inciting force of the Tunisian Revolution It is but one example of heightened attention paid to hip hop and rap in the Arab world since the so-called ldquoArab Springrdquo began In July the BBC asked ldquoIs Hip Hop Driving the Arab Springrdquo in an article reminiscent of those in months earlier which debated the role of Facebook and Twitter in the realization of the Egyptian Revolution Both are facile treatments that should be quickly (and if necessary constantly) reassessed
There is a danger in a non-critical focus of Western media on the recent spike however significant in Arabic hip hop during a time of political revolution US and European politicians canrsquot seem to get a grip on The New York Times and others in the months after Hosni Mubarakrsquos abdication from the presidency in Egypt attributed significance to Massachusetts-based retired professor Gene Sharprsquos pamphlet ldquoFrom Dictatorship to Democracyrdquo in the political strategies of Egyptian activists despite the fact that many in Egypt found this claim simply ludicrous if not overtly manipulative The urge to attribute success
from the Editorto Sharprsquos document stems not entirely from an attempt to ldquoWesternizerdquo the revolution but to ldquoglobalizerdquo it Sharprsquos piece is not an exciting story necessarily because it was written by an American but because his tract is understood to have had currency in regime changes from Burma to Ukraine since the late 1990s
A similar instinct is at play in the attribution of efficacy to hip hop in the Arab revolutions in 2011 Hip hop though it sprung from specifically US environs has become a global phenomenon These two approaches taken by US and European press illustrate that an old neocolonial danger remains It may be summed up as such hip hop is a tool for understanding the rhythm of the revolting Arab street because it is a ldquoWesternrdquo and familiar form That danger however has morphed hip hop is a tool for understanding the rhythm of the revolting Arab street because it is a ldquoglobalrdquo and therefore significant form The trap of course lies in this notion of ldquoglobalrdquo that is notorious for substituting simple sweeping narratives at the expense of the local And in the ease with which one can replace ldquoWesternizedrdquo with ldquoglobalizedrdquo
The challenge then for a responsible look at both the changing Arab street and hip hop on and in it is to strive for a compassionate understanding that places the local within global flows It lies in an understanding of ldquocontemporaryrdquo that is not exclusively ldquoWesternrdquo or ldquoOrientalrdquo and an understanding of networks that is not only ldquoglobalrdquo nor ldquolocalrdquo The potential benefit for a responsible critical reading of this material is an understanding of ldquothe Arab streetrdquo which consistently evades commercial media and by extension popular conception in the ldquoWestrdquo
It is with this in mind that I am proud to present the following issue of Shahadat The Winter 2012 issue features the work of 16 MCs or collectives from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the Arab diaspora in Arabic and English and in English translation It represents the extensive collaboration of 10 translators An interactive publication that hosts the music along with its lyrics it is the first experiment of its kind for ArteEast and to our knowledge the first document of its kind on the web
Street Talk
It is not just theoretically important that ears outside the Arab world hear and understand the voices of more of those within it The means of articulation and the words themselves displace the dominant media narrative in substantial practical ways In an age of a seemingly infinite ldquoWar on Terrorrdquo whose main weapons mask aggressive humiliation techniques as ldquodefensiverdquo security hip hop in Arabic opens a place for an important assertion of dignity by young Arab men who demographically bear the brunt of these expanded security tactics Assertions of pride and respectability take different forms from overt political critique to declarations of identity to calls to lyrical arms to provocations of other poets and MCs One of the most significant things about hip hop in Arabic is that it is projecting images of dignified (articulate proud well-read compassionate astute critical) young masculinity to thirsty listeners at home and abroad
But neither is the genre nor the collection featured here homogeneous in terms of gender Young women have nearly from the beginning of the scene been a part of the construction of this field Also particularly noteworthy (not because of their ethnic or religious background but because of the history of hip hop and rap in the West) is how adamantly young Arab male MCs eschew and challenge misogyny in both their content and performances
This should not suggest that hip hop creates an ideal or egalitarian playing field for Arab men and women Social stigma has made it
The potential benefit for a responsible critical reading of this material is an understanding of ldquothe Arab streetrdquo which consistently evades commercial media and by extension popular conception in the ldquoWestrdquo
76
especially difficult for women to break through cultural stereotypes and dogma (though a handful have notably Malikah based in Lebanon Shadia Mansour (featured in the collection) and Abeer alias Sabreena da Witch) I find it safe to presume that when young Arab women break into the genre in greater numbers or find their own methods to voice political and social critiques reclamations of dignity collective and individual will be at the top of the list of significant effects
The second critically important antidote to mainstream media that these voices provide is the true cornucopia of social grievances they cite and political critiques they offer The 16 tracks featured here take on variously the Muslim Brotherhood greed and corruption poverty and hunger inefficacy of NGOs betrayal of and by fellow Arabs (notably the ldquobrain drainrdquo phenomenon which has seen young Arabs across the region relocate overseas in hopes of greater opportunity) capitalism sectarianism and religious extremism in addition to Western colonialism and the policies of the state of Israel towards Palestinians
The letters they address to the world in each track should make it harder and harder to believe that all Arabs all Muslims or all Egyptians Palestinians or otherwise are set on the destruction of ldquothe Westrdquo at the expense of critical thinking about the local economies and systems of government that have also failed them
Not just the content but the form of these articulations showcases a way of seeing the world of processing it and of asserting oneself in it that young people globally will identify with This is vitally important as a new generation comes to terms with itself internationally it will have to decide how much of the old divisions of ldquousrdquo and ldquothemrdquo it wishes to retain The work of these artists and their colleagues worldwide has the potential to remind listeners how alike they are and how arbitrary national and ethnic divisions can be
A Bigger Picture
It is true that hip hop does not have a long history in the Arab world It is however older than 12 or even 15 months first taking root in North Africa in the early 1990s and in Palestine several years later just before the Second Intifada The largest markets and scenes for hip hop in the Arab world have long been in Morocco Algeria and Palestine and lately in Lebanon
Incidentally these countries are rarely the focus of recent press which hails an explosion of Arabic hip hop in recent months Similarly despite the many creative hypotheses posited in English-language press about catalysts and influences of the Arab Spring the very real history of popular resistance in Palestine (ie the Intifadas of the late 1990s and mid 2000s) is hardly ever mentioned as a probable influence of the popular Arab revolutions of this year
distinct sounds of each artist or collaboration and the musical traditions from which they borrow from funk to electronica and in between
The rhythms and flows vary too in some places the impact of the political critique comes as much from the aural quality as from the lyrical content The rhythm of Fareeq el Atrashrsquos ldquoThe Stars are Getting Closerrdquo (ldquoNjoom 3am Tersquorabrdquo) for example
الكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
with its sustained rhythm of repeated syllables at the ends of phrases and its almost flippant characterizations of a musicianrsquos routine is distinctly different from the defiant declaration of MC Gaza in his piece with Arabian Knightz and Ameer ldquoHand in Handrdquo (ldquoEid fi Eidrdquo)
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطي
Which is also very different from the imaginative poetic (and humorous) play on words and political critique in El Rassrsquos
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري
Each of the artists featured here manipulates sound and meaning in unique and fiercely creative ways making of the genre a distinct form of popular poetry
One of the most compelling political components of the genre is how powerful rather simple declarations of preference or identity can be or become These take on overt incarnations as in Offendumrsquos celebratory ldquoDestinyrdquo H2Zrsquos figurative ldquoI am Palestinianrdquo (ldquoAna Falasteenirdquo) or more subtle declarations of preference as in Ramallah Undergroundrsquos ldquoI am trying not to care but politics pulls at merdquo in the track ldquoFrom the Caverdquo (ldquoMin el Kaheffrdquo) Private processings of a public world linger in nearly all the pieces It is from these subject positions and thousands
of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
The implicit and explicit declarations of identity in Arabic hip hop is perhaps also especially noteworthy because they are immediately noticeable All the tracks featured here are predominantly in dialect (Egyptian Lebanese Syrian Palestinian) and not in the standard modern or classical Arabic typically broadcast across national borders Moreover the political critiques they offer are especially specific some relying almost entirely on subtext to carry meaning across The translations alongside them then should make equally useful learning tools for students of Arabic language as those of culture politics and art
But if anything comes from hearing and reading these texts simultaneously it should be a reevaluation of the question of ldquomodernizationrdquo or ldquoWesternizationrdquo in our contemporary moment Facile readings from both sides will call these works ldquoWesternizations of Arab culturerdquo or ldquoOrientalizations of Western culturerdquo In reality they are neither If they feel modern or more specifically postmodern (and they undoubtedly are - the articulations of identity mentioned above are almost always manifest as split or double) it is because they were written and are performed in our contemporary moment not because they encompass more or less of one part of the globe And if the pieces feel Arab (and they undoubtedly will) it is because they are Arab too
One of the most important but embarrassingly obvious implications then is that the two are completely conceivable within the same body within the same text in the same exact moment They are not opposite not a give and take followed by synthesis The tracks and the artists are both Many Multitude Concurrently East and West After all what is East What is West
Rayya El ZeinNew York
It is from these subject positions and thousands of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
Denying the influences of US rap on hip hop in Arabic or of the Internet (Facebook Twitter) on the events of the past twelve months is futile But if a productive dialogue between the Middle East and West is to be created we must also learn to listen to local histories and to hear regional catalysts
Politics and Aesthetics
Shared political concerns hardly confine the range of creative impulses within the genre The tracks collected in this issue explore a range of thematic considerations as well as aesthetic choices Most bear implicit if not explicit (and here we see a healthy range) of political critiques Indeed the aesthetic choices of rhythm melody when appropriate and beat become political choices in and of themselves In this collection we have tried to illustrate a wide gamut of approaches and rhythms Listeners will undoubtedly note the
98
This issue of Shahadat is an interactive experiment and a virtual media work in progress It is designed for multiple audiences from the aspiring poet and critic to the classroom to established fans and everything in-between
Download all the tracks featured in this issue and absorb the various layers of sound rhythm politics and poetry at your own leisure
Or download the pdf of this document and listen as you go The green button on each page starts the track the red button pauses Click above the set of buttons and a small media player will appear which allows one to navigate through the track at will These interactive features only function if you download the pdf of this document The
Note for Mac users if you are viewing the downloaded pdf the tracks will stop playing at the flip of the page To reactivate sound click in the upper left hand corner of each two-page
spread (Hovering should produce a text box that says ldquoclick to activaterdquo) A small player will appear with which the track can be navigated Be sure to open with Adobe Reader not Apple Preview for interactive functions
Flip through the virtual publication in the order wersquove suggested or find your favorite track in the table of contents on the opposite page and click on the title to be led directly to it
We appreciate your feedback (and your patience) as we experiment with new forms of media while exploring the various incarnations of popular literature in the Middle East and North Africa
how to use this Document table of Contents
Editorrsquos Remarks 4
From the Cave | Ramallah Underground 10
Rise Egyptian | El Deeb + Edd 16
Not Your Prisoner | Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour 24
Ignite | Boikutt 30
I am Palestinian | H2Z 36
Kufeyyeh Arabeyyeh | Shadia Mansour 40
Destiny | Omar Offendum 46
What Happened Yesterday | Stormtrap 54
Brass | The Narcicyst 60
Beirutrsquos Volcano | El Rass 64
A Letter from Boikutt | Boikutt 70
Hold Me Back If You Can | Katibeh 5 74
Hand in Hand | Arabian Knightz + MC Gaza + Ameer 82
Addiction to Fame | El Deeb + Stormtrap 88
The Stars are Getting Closer | Fareeq el Atrash 94
Words | DAM 100
Further Reading 106
About the Artists 108
About the Translators 111
1110
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
نازل العب باملوت بدي اعرف ايش عدد املوت هون
مش سامع وال صوت اطفي التلفون
اسأل ألنو وال حد سائل سواءا سياسي أو دوبلوماسي
قاعدين على هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا رؤوسهم و بتمددووالبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم
ألنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
I am going to play with death
I wanna know the death count here
I canrsquot hear a sound
Turn off your phone
Ask because no one else has
Whether politicians or diplomats
Theyrsquore planted in their seats
Chatting
They relax rest their heads
While homes in Lebanon and Gaza are leveled
The time has come to screw the world
Because theyrsquoll keep talking without ever doing anything
Why would we keep holding on waiting hoping
But for nothing They forgot about us a while ago
from tمن الكهف he cave
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
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1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
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1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
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3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
54
Media Moments
In early December ABCrsquos icon of vetted journalism Barbara Walters sat down with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on an exclusive episode of Nightline Assadrsquos soft-spoken polite almost gentle performance in the interview he staged with Walters playing Master of Ceremonies induced mild but notable reactions Therersquos a ldquodisconnectrdquo the US State Department declared between what Assad says and the situation in Syria Walters herself seemed shocked at his presentable demeanor describing him upon her return from Damascus as ldquocalmrdquo ldquosoft-spokenrdquo and ldquoarticulaterdquo She further stressed during the introduction to the piece that Assad spoke ldquovery good Englishrdquo and ldquoanswered every questionrdquo Impressive it seems for an accused Arab dictator
What is overwhelmingly unsettling in Walterrsquos episode of Nightline is that it assumes certain qualities of chaos both in Damascus and in the person of the Syrian president that would stipulate the understandable conditions of civil unrest Damascus markets are stocked people shop ldquoonlyrdquo the ldquohigh-endrdquo stores are feeling the pinch Assad is polite he answers her questions invites her in Where are the snipers The rape attempts The crying children in the shadows What ABC and Walters cringingly fail to highlight is in fact the glaring normalcy of the brutality of Assadrsquos regime
Further the first US television journalist inside Syria since the nine-month-old uprising began showcased one voice almost exclusively that of the disconnected president Walters did not go though she did send a correspondent to Deraa the town where protests started in March There a bewildered Alex Marquardt wondered why Assadrsquos promise to go anywhere he wanted (accompanied by an 8-car motorcade) was not kept or why when permitted to meander through the streets on his own no one would talk to him Without an official at the other end of the mic and
save one brave manrsquos hushed testimony ABCrsquos mics picked up only silence A journalistic venture designed to shine light on a country in distress instead gave the stage to its president and the insights we glean are that he doesnrsquot really seem crazy at least not like we thought hersquod be
But if a startling lack of imagination with regards to power and human nature especially vis-agrave-vis Arab leaders is one aspect of the problematic Western media coverage and an almost complete dearth of voices from the actual Arab street is another these are not the only shortcomings with consequences for understanding a fuller picture of a dynamic Arab world
Earlier in 2011 TIME magazine named Hamada Ben Amor the Tunisian rapper better known as El Geacuteneacuteral one of the top 100 most influential people of the year singling out his track ldquoMr Presidentrdquo (ldquoRais LeBledrdquo) which was critical of Ben Alirsquos regime as an inciting force of the Tunisian Revolution It is but one example of heightened attention paid to hip hop and rap in the Arab world since the so-called ldquoArab Springrdquo began In July the BBC asked ldquoIs Hip Hop Driving the Arab Springrdquo in an article reminiscent of those in months earlier which debated the role of Facebook and Twitter in the realization of the Egyptian Revolution Both are facile treatments that should be quickly (and if necessary constantly) reassessed
There is a danger in a non-critical focus of Western media on the recent spike however significant in Arabic hip hop during a time of political revolution US and European politicians canrsquot seem to get a grip on The New York Times and others in the months after Hosni Mubarakrsquos abdication from the presidency in Egypt attributed significance to Massachusetts-based retired professor Gene Sharprsquos pamphlet ldquoFrom Dictatorship to Democracyrdquo in the political strategies of Egyptian activists despite the fact that many in Egypt found this claim simply ludicrous if not overtly manipulative The urge to attribute success
from the Editorto Sharprsquos document stems not entirely from an attempt to ldquoWesternizerdquo the revolution but to ldquoglobalizerdquo it Sharprsquos piece is not an exciting story necessarily because it was written by an American but because his tract is understood to have had currency in regime changes from Burma to Ukraine since the late 1990s
A similar instinct is at play in the attribution of efficacy to hip hop in the Arab revolutions in 2011 Hip hop though it sprung from specifically US environs has become a global phenomenon These two approaches taken by US and European press illustrate that an old neocolonial danger remains It may be summed up as such hip hop is a tool for understanding the rhythm of the revolting Arab street because it is a ldquoWesternrdquo and familiar form That danger however has morphed hip hop is a tool for understanding the rhythm of the revolting Arab street because it is a ldquoglobalrdquo and therefore significant form The trap of course lies in this notion of ldquoglobalrdquo that is notorious for substituting simple sweeping narratives at the expense of the local And in the ease with which one can replace ldquoWesternizedrdquo with ldquoglobalizedrdquo
The challenge then for a responsible look at both the changing Arab street and hip hop on and in it is to strive for a compassionate understanding that places the local within global flows It lies in an understanding of ldquocontemporaryrdquo that is not exclusively ldquoWesternrdquo or ldquoOrientalrdquo and an understanding of networks that is not only ldquoglobalrdquo nor ldquolocalrdquo The potential benefit for a responsible critical reading of this material is an understanding of ldquothe Arab streetrdquo which consistently evades commercial media and by extension popular conception in the ldquoWestrdquo
It is with this in mind that I am proud to present the following issue of Shahadat The Winter 2012 issue features the work of 16 MCs or collectives from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the Arab diaspora in Arabic and English and in English translation It represents the extensive collaboration of 10 translators An interactive publication that hosts the music along with its lyrics it is the first experiment of its kind for ArteEast and to our knowledge the first document of its kind on the web
Street Talk
It is not just theoretically important that ears outside the Arab world hear and understand the voices of more of those within it The means of articulation and the words themselves displace the dominant media narrative in substantial practical ways In an age of a seemingly infinite ldquoWar on Terrorrdquo whose main weapons mask aggressive humiliation techniques as ldquodefensiverdquo security hip hop in Arabic opens a place for an important assertion of dignity by young Arab men who demographically bear the brunt of these expanded security tactics Assertions of pride and respectability take different forms from overt political critique to declarations of identity to calls to lyrical arms to provocations of other poets and MCs One of the most significant things about hip hop in Arabic is that it is projecting images of dignified (articulate proud well-read compassionate astute critical) young masculinity to thirsty listeners at home and abroad
But neither is the genre nor the collection featured here homogeneous in terms of gender Young women have nearly from the beginning of the scene been a part of the construction of this field Also particularly noteworthy (not because of their ethnic or religious background but because of the history of hip hop and rap in the West) is how adamantly young Arab male MCs eschew and challenge misogyny in both their content and performances
This should not suggest that hip hop creates an ideal or egalitarian playing field for Arab men and women Social stigma has made it
The potential benefit for a responsible critical reading of this material is an understanding of ldquothe Arab streetrdquo which consistently evades commercial media and by extension popular conception in the ldquoWestrdquo
76
especially difficult for women to break through cultural stereotypes and dogma (though a handful have notably Malikah based in Lebanon Shadia Mansour (featured in the collection) and Abeer alias Sabreena da Witch) I find it safe to presume that when young Arab women break into the genre in greater numbers or find their own methods to voice political and social critiques reclamations of dignity collective and individual will be at the top of the list of significant effects
The second critically important antidote to mainstream media that these voices provide is the true cornucopia of social grievances they cite and political critiques they offer The 16 tracks featured here take on variously the Muslim Brotherhood greed and corruption poverty and hunger inefficacy of NGOs betrayal of and by fellow Arabs (notably the ldquobrain drainrdquo phenomenon which has seen young Arabs across the region relocate overseas in hopes of greater opportunity) capitalism sectarianism and religious extremism in addition to Western colonialism and the policies of the state of Israel towards Palestinians
The letters they address to the world in each track should make it harder and harder to believe that all Arabs all Muslims or all Egyptians Palestinians or otherwise are set on the destruction of ldquothe Westrdquo at the expense of critical thinking about the local economies and systems of government that have also failed them
Not just the content but the form of these articulations showcases a way of seeing the world of processing it and of asserting oneself in it that young people globally will identify with This is vitally important as a new generation comes to terms with itself internationally it will have to decide how much of the old divisions of ldquousrdquo and ldquothemrdquo it wishes to retain The work of these artists and their colleagues worldwide has the potential to remind listeners how alike they are and how arbitrary national and ethnic divisions can be
A Bigger Picture
It is true that hip hop does not have a long history in the Arab world It is however older than 12 or even 15 months first taking root in North Africa in the early 1990s and in Palestine several years later just before the Second Intifada The largest markets and scenes for hip hop in the Arab world have long been in Morocco Algeria and Palestine and lately in Lebanon
Incidentally these countries are rarely the focus of recent press which hails an explosion of Arabic hip hop in recent months Similarly despite the many creative hypotheses posited in English-language press about catalysts and influences of the Arab Spring the very real history of popular resistance in Palestine (ie the Intifadas of the late 1990s and mid 2000s) is hardly ever mentioned as a probable influence of the popular Arab revolutions of this year
distinct sounds of each artist or collaboration and the musical traditions from which they borrow from funk to electronica and in between
The rhythms and flows vary too in some places the impact of the political critique comes as much from the aural quality as from the lyrical content The rhythm of Fareeq el Atrashrsquos ldquoThe Stars are Getting Closerrdquo (ldquoNjoom 3am Tersquorabrdquo) for example
الكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
with its sustained rhythm of repeated syllables at the ends of phrases and its almost flippant characterizations of a musicianrsquos routine is distinctly different from the defiant declaration of MC Gaza in his piece with Arabian Knightz and Ameer ldquoHand in Handrdquo (ldquoEid fi Eidrdquo)
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطي
Which is also very different from the imaginative poetic (and humorous) play on words and political critique in El Rassrsquos
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري
Each of the artists featured here manipulates sound and meaning in unique and fiercely creative ways making of the genre a distinct form of popular poetry
One of the most compelling political components of the genre is how powerful rather simple declarations of preference or identity can be or become These take on overt incarnations as in Offendumrsquos celebratory ldquoDestinyrdquo H2Zrsquos figurative ldquoI am Palestinianrdquo (ldquoAna Falasteenirdquo) or more subtle declarations of preference as in Ramallah Undergroundrsquos ldquoI am trying not to care but politics pulls at merdquo in the track ldquoFrom the Caverdquo (ldquoMin el Kaheffrdquo) Private processings of a public world linger in nearly all the pieces It is from these subject positions and thousands
of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
The implicit and explicit declarations of identity in Arabic hip hop is perhaps also especially noteworthy because they are immediately noticeable All the tracks featured here are predominantly in dialect (Egyptian Lebanese Syrian Palestinian) and not in the standard modern or classical Arabic typically broadcast across national borders Moreover the political critiques they offer are especially specific some relying almost entirely on subtext to carry meaning across The translations alongside them then should make equally useful learning tools for students of Arabic language as those of culture politics and art
But if anything comes from hearing and reading these texts simultaneously it should be a reevaluation of the question of ldquomodernizationrdquo or ldquoWesternizationrdquo in our contemporary moment Facile readings from both sides will call these works ldquoWesternizations of Arab culturerdquo or ldquoOrientalizations of Western culturerdquo In reality they are neither If they feel modern or more specifically postmodern (and they undoubtedly are - the articulations of identity mentioned above are almost always manifest as split or double) it is because they were written and are performed in our contemporary moment not because they encompass more or less of one part of the globe And if the pieces feel Arab (and they undoubtedly will) it is because they are Arab too
One of the most important but embarrassingly obvious implications then is that the two are completely conceivable within the same body within the same text in the same exact moment They are not opposite not a give and take followed by synthesis The tracks and the artists are both Many Multitude Concurrently East and West After all what is East What is West
Rayya El ZeinNew York
It is from these subject positions and thousands of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
Denying the influences of US rap on hip hop in Arabic or of the Internet (Facebook Twitter) on the events of the past twelve months is futile But if a productive dialogue between the Middle East and West is to be created we must also learn to listen to local histories and to hear regional catalysts
Politics and Aesthetics
Shared political concerns hardly confine the range of creative impulses within the genre The tracks collected in this issue explore a range of thematic considerations as well as aesthetic choices Most bear implicit if not explicit (and here we see a healthy range) of political critiques Indeed the aesthetic choices of rhythm melody when appropriate and beat become political choices in and of themselves In this collection we have tried to illustrate a wide gamut of approaches and rhythms Listeners will undoubtedly note the
98
This issue of Shahadat is an interactive experiment and a virtual media work in progress It is designed for multiple audiences from the aspiring poet and critic to the classroom to established fans and everything in-between
Download all the tracks featured in this issue and absorb the various layers of sound rhythm politics and poetry at your own leisure
Or download the pdf of this document and listen as you go The green button on each page starts the track the red button pauses Click above the set of buttons and a small media player will appear which allows one to navigate through the track at will These interactive features only function if you download the pdf of this document The
Note for Mac users if you are viewing the downloaded pdf the tracks will stop playing at the flip of the page To reactivate sound click in the upper left hand corner of each two-page
spread (Hovering should produce a text box that says ldquoclick to activaterdquo) A small player will appear with which the track can be navigated Be sure to open with Adobe Reader not Apple Preview for interactive functions
Flip through the virtual publication in the order wersquove suggested or find your favorite track in the table of contents on the opposite page and click on the title to be led directly to it
We appreciate your feedback (and your patience) as we experiment with new forms of media while exploring the various incarnations of popular literature in the Middle East and North Africa
how to use this Document table of Contents
Editorrsquos Remarks 4
From the Cave | Ramallah Underground 10
Rise Egyptian | El Deeb + Edd 16
Not Your Prisoner | Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour 24
Ignite | Boikutt 30
I am Palestinian | H2Z 36
Kufeyyeh Arabeyyeh | Shadia Mansour 40
Destiny | Omar Offendum 46
What Happened Yesterday | Stormtrap 54
Brass | The Narcicyst 60
Beirutrsquos Volcano | El Rass 64
A Letter from Boikutt | Boikutt 70
Hold Me Back If You Can | Katibeh 5 74
Hand in Hand | Arabian Knightz + MC Gaza + Ameer 82
Addiction to Fame | El Deeb + Stormtrap 88
The Stars are Getting Closer | Fareeq el Atrash 94
Words | DAM 100
Further Reading 106
About the Artists 108
About the Translators 111
1110
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
نازل العب باملوت بدي اعرف ايش عدد املوت هون
مش سامع وال صوت اطفي التلفون
اسأل ألنو وال حد سائل سواءا سياسي أو دوبلوماسي
قاعدين على هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا رؤوسهم و بتمددووالبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم
ألنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
I am going to play with death
I wanna know the death count here
I canrsquot hear a sound
Turn off your phone
Ask because no one else has
Whether politicians or diplomats
Theyrsquore planted in their seats
Chatting
They relax rest their heads
While homes in Lebanon and Gaza are leveled
The time has come to screw the world
Because theyrsquoll keep talking without ever doing anything
Why would we keep holding on waiting hoping
But for nothing They forgot about us a while ago
from tمن الكهف he cave
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
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3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
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3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
76
especially difficult for women to break through cultural stereotypes and dogma (though a handful have notably Malikah based in Lebanon Shadia Mansour (featured in the collection) and Abeer alias Sabreena da Witch) I find it safe to presume that when young Arab women break into the genre in greater numbers or find their own methods to voice political and social critiques reclamations of dignity collective and individual will be at the top of the list of significant effects
The second critically important antidote to mainstream media that these voices provide is the true cornucopia of social grievances they cite and political critiques they offer The 16 tracks featured here take on variously the Muslim Brotherhood greed and corruption poverty and hunger inefficacy of NGOs betrayal of and by fellow Arabs (notably the ldquobrain drainrdquo phenomenon which has seen young Arabs across the region relocate overseas in hopes of greater opportunity) capitalism sectarianism and religious extremism in addition to Western colonialism and the policies of the state of Israel towards Palestinians
The letters they address to the world in each track should make it harder and harder to believe that all Arabs all Muslims or all Egyptians Palestinians or otherwise are set on the destruction of ldquothe Westrdquo at the expense of critical thinking about the local economies and systems of government that have also failed them
Not just the content but the form of these articulations showcases a way of seeing the world of processing it and of asserting oneself in it that young people globally will identify with This is vitally important as a new generation comes to terms with itself internationally it will have to decide how much of the old divisions of ldquousrdquo and ldquothemrdquo it wishes to retain The work of these artists and their colleagues worldwide has the potential to remind listeners how alike they are and how arbitrary national and ethnic divisions can be
A Bigger Picture
It is true that hip hop does not have a long history in the Arab world It is however older than 12 or even 15 months first taking root in North Africa in the early 1990s and in Palestine several years later just before the Second Intifada The largest markets and scenes for hip hop in the Arab world have long been in Morocco Algeria and Palestine and lately in Lebanon
Incidentally these countries are rarely the focus of recent press which hails an explosion of Arabic hip hop in recent months Similarly despite the many creative hypotheses posited in English-language press about catalysts and influences of the Arab Spring the very real history of popular resistance in Palestine (ie the Intifadas of the late 1990s and mid 2000s) is hardly ever mentioned as a probable influence of the popular Arab revolutions of this year
distinct sounds of each artist or collaboration and the musical traditions from which they borrow from funk to electronica and in between
The rhythms and flows vary too in some places the impact of the political critique comes as much from the aural quality as from the lyrical content The rhythm of Fareeq el Atrashrsquos ldquoThe Stars are Getting Closerrdquo (ldquoNjoom 3am Tersquorabrdquo) for example
الكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
with its sustained rhythm of repeated syllables at the ends of phrases and its almost flippant characterizations of a musicianrsquos routine is distinctly different from the defiant declaration of MC Gaza in his piece with Arabian Knightz and Ameer ldquoHand in Handrdquo (ldquoEid fi Eidrdquo)
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطي
Which is also very different from the imaginative poetic (and humorous) play on words and political critique in El Rassrsquos
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري
Each of the artists featured here manipulates sound and meaning in unique and fiercely creative ways making of the genre a distinct form of popular poetry
One of the most compelling political components of the genre is how powerful rather simple declarations of preference or identity can be or become These take on overt incarnations as in Offendumrsquos celebratory ldquoDestinyrdquo H2Zrsquos figurative ldquoI am Palestinianrdquo (ldquoAna Falasteenirdquo) or more subtle declarations of preference as in Ramallah Undergroundrsquos ldquoI am trying not to care but politics pulls at merdquo in the track ldquoFrom the Caverdquo (ldquoMin el Kaheffrdquo) Private processings of a public world linger in nearly all the pieces It is from these subject positions and thousands
of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
The implicit and explicit declarations of identity in Arabic hip hop is perhaps also especially noteworthy because they are immediately noticeable All the tracks featured here are predominantly in dialect (Egyptian Lebanese Syrian Palestinian) and not in the standard modern or classical Arabic typically broadcast across national borders Moreover the political critiques they offer are especially specific some relying almost entirely on subtext to carry meaning across The translations alongside them then should make equally useful learning tools for students of Arabic language as those of culture politics and art
But if anything comes from hearing and reading these texts simultaneously it should be a reevaluation of the question of ldquomodernizationrdquo or ldquoWesternizationrdquo in our contemporary moment Facile readings from both sides will call these works ldquoWesternizations of Arab culturerdquo or ldquoOrientalizations of Western culturerdquo In reality they are neither If they feel modern or more specifically postmodern (and they undoubtedly are - the articulations of identity mentioned above are almost always manifest as split or double) it is because they were written and are performed in our contemporary moment not because they encompass more or less of one part of the globe And if the pieces feel Arab (and they undoubtedly will) it is because they are Arab too
One of the most important but embarrassingly obvious implications then is that the two are completely conceivable within the same body within the same text in the same exact moment They are not opposite not a give and take followed by synthesis The tracks and the artists are both Many Multitude Concurrently East and West After all what is East What is West
Rayya El ZeinNew York
It is from these subject positions and thousands of others that those outside of the Arab world must also hear not only from their ldquodisconnectedrdquo leaders who happen to speak like thousands of their constituents ldquovery good Englishrdquo
Denying the influences of US rap on hip hop in Arabic or of the Internet (Facebook Twitter) on the events of the past twelve months is futile But if a productive dialogue between the Middle East and West is to be created we must also learn to listen to local histories and to hear regional catalysts
Politics and Aesthetics
Shared political concerns hardly confine the range of creative impulses within the genre The tracks collected in this issue explore a range of thematic considerations as well as aesthetic choices Most bear implicit if not explicit (and here we see a healthy range) of political critiques Indeed the aesthetic choices of rhythm melody when appropriate and beat become political choices in and of themselves In this collection we have tried to illustrate a wide gamut of approaches and rhythms Listeners will undoubtedly note the
98
This issue of Shahadat is an interactive experiment and a virtual media work in progress It is designed for multiple audiences from the aspiring poet and critic to the classroom to established fans and everything in-between
Download all the tracks featured in this issue and absorb the various layers of sound rhythm politics and poetry at your own leisure
Or download the pdf of this document and listen as you go The green button on each page starts the track the red button pauses Click above the set of buttons and a small media player will appear which allows one to navigate through the track at will These interactive features only function if you download the pdf of this document The
Note for Mac users if you are viewing the downloaded pdf the tracks will stop playing at the flip of the page To reactivate sound click in the upper left hand corner of each two-page
spread (Hovering should produce a text box that says ldquoclick to activaterdquo) A small player will appear with which the track can be navigated Be sure to open with Adobe Reader not Apple Preview for interactive functions
Flip through the virtual publication in the order wersquove suggested or find your favorite track in the table of contents on the opposite page and click on the title to be led directly to it
We appreciate your feedback (and your patience) as we experiment with new forms of media while exploring the various incarnations of popular literature in the Middle East and North Africa
how to use this Document table of Contents
Editorrsquos Remarks 4
From the Cave | Ramallah Underground 10
Rise Egyptian | El Deeb + Edd 16
Not Your Prisoner | Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour 24
Ignite | Boikutt 30
I am Palestinian | H2Z 36
Kufeyyeh Arabeyyeh | Shadia Mansour 40
Destiny | Omar Offendum 46
What Happened Yesterday | Stormtrap 54
Brass | The Narcicyst 60
Beirutrsquos Volcano | El Rass 64
A Letter from Boikutt | Boikutt 70
Hold Me Back If You Can | Katibeh 5 74
Hand in Hand | Arabian Knightz + MC Gaza + Ameer 82
Addiction to Fame | El Deeb + Stormtrap 88
The Stars are Getting Closer | Fareeq el Atrash 94
Words | DAM 100
Further Reading 106
About the Artists 108
About the Translators 111
1110
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
نازل العب باملوت بدي اعرف ايش عدد املوت هون
مش سامع وال صوت اطفي التلفون
اسأل ألنو وال حد سائل سواءا سياسي أو دوبلوماسي
قاعدين على هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا رؤوسهم و بتمددووالبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم
ألنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
I am going to play with death
I wanna know the death count here
I canrsquot hear a sound
Turn off your phone
Ask because no one else has
Whether politicians or diplomats
Theyrsquore planted in their seats
Chatting
They relax rest their heads
While homes in Lebanon and Gaza are leveled
The time has come to screw the world
Because theyrsquoll keep talking without ever doing anything
Why would we keep holding on waiting hoping
But for nothing They forgot about us a while ago
from tمن الكهف he cave
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
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1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
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1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
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3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
98
This issue of Shahadat is an interactive experiment and a virtual media work in progress It is designed for multiple audiences from the aspiring poet and critic to the classroom to established fans and everything in-between
Download all the tracks featured in this issue and absorb the various layers of sound rhythm politics and poetry at your own leisure
Or download the pdf of this document and listen as you go The green button on each page starts the track the red button pauses Click above the set of buttons and a small media player will appear which allows one to navigate through the track at will These interactive features only function if you download the pdf of this document The
Note for Mac users if you are viewing the downloaded pdf the tracks will stop playing at the flip of the page To reactivate sound click in the upper left hand corner of each two-page
spread (Hovering should produce a text box that says ldquoclick to activaterdquo) A small player will appear with which the track can be navigated Be sure to open with Adobe Reader not Apple Preview for interactive functions
Flip through the virtual publication in the order wersquove suggested or find your favorite track in the table of contents on the opposite page and click on the title to be led directly to it
We appreciate your feedback (and your patience) as we experiment with new forms of media while exploring the various incarnations of popular literature in the Middle East and North Africa
how to use this Document table of Contents
Editorrsquos Remarks 4
From the Cave | Ramallah Underground 10
Rise Egyptian | El Deeb + Edd 16
Not Your Prisoner | Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour 24
Ignite | Boikutt 30
I am Palestinian | H2Z 36
Kufeyyeh Arabeyyeh | Shadia Mansour 40
Destiny | Omar Offendum 46
What Happened Yesterday | Stormtrap 54
Brass | The Narcicyst 60
Beirutrsquos Volcano | El Rass 64
A Letter from Boikutt | Boikutt 70
Hold Me Back If You Can | Katibeh 5 74
Hand in Hand | Arabian Knightz + MC Gaza + Ameer 82
Addiction to Fame | El Deeb + Stormtrap 88
The Stars are Getting Closer | Fareeq el Atrash 94
Words | DAM 100
Further Reading 106
About the Artists 108
About the Translators 111
1110
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
نازل العب باملوت بدي اعرف ايش عدد املوت هون
مش سامع وال صوت اطفي التلفون
اسأل ألنو وال حد سائل سواءا سياسي أو دوبلوماسي
قاعدين على هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا رؤوسهم و بتمددووالبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم
ألنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
I am going to play with death
I wanna know the death count here
I canrsquot hear a sound
Turn off your phone
Ask because no one else has
Whether politicians or diplomats
Theyrsquore planted in their seats
Chatting
They relax rest their heads
While homes in Lebanon and Gaza are leveled
The time has come to screw the world
Because theyrsquoll keep talking without ever doing anything
Why would we keep holding on waiting hoping
But for nothing They forgot about us a while ago
from tمن الكهف he cave
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
1110
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
نازل العب باملوت بدي اعرف ايش عدد املوت هون
مش سامع وال صوت اطفي التلفون
اسأل ألنو وال حد سائل سواءا سياسي أو دوبلوماسي
قاعدين على هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا رؤوسهم و بتمددووالبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم
ألنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
I am going to play with death
I wanna know the death count here
I canrsquot hear a sound
Turn off your phone
Ask because no one else has
Whether politicians or diplomats
Theyrsquore planted in their seats
Chatting
They relax rest their heads
While homes in Lebanon and Gaza are leveled
The time has come to screw the world
Because theyrsquoll keep talking without ever doing anything
Why would we keep holding on waiting hoping
But for nothing They forgot about us a while ago
from tمن الكهف he cave
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
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1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
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3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
1312
ساعة بتمسك حالك ملا تشوف قدامك
اللي قامك واللي شالك مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كالمك
ما حتسمع كالمك
هون يوم معاك مية عليك حواجز حواليك كلبشات عايديك
قولي شو سويت مابدي فوت باحليط ياريت بس انا فايت هيك هيك
حياتي عجل بسكليت وهأل فلت اجلنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي لكل النواحي
ألنو كلماتي سالحي
بدهم يجوعوا األهالي ألنو الناس ملا يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا باملقاومة
11 22 33 عم ميحونا هات لننزل عال مالجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون ألخر حلظة لصوار يخكم ايصابونا
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
In the moments when you try to get a hold of things
When you look in front of you
At the one who picked you up and removed you
Donrsquot be surprised if evil thoughts fill your mind
You went on calling the world but the world is sleeping
And even if it wakes up it wonrsquot hear your voice
It wonrsquot hear your voice
Here therersquos one day with you and a hundred others against you
Barriers around you
Handcuffs on your hands
Tell me what you did
I hope I donrsquot crash into a wall
But Irsquom crashing anyways
My life is more like a bike tire
But now wersquore off the tracks time to hit the gas
Never pull never stretch my speech
For any reason
Because my words are my weapons
They wanna starve our people because when people are starving they no longer think of
leading resistance
One by one two by two three by three theyrsquore trying to wipe us out
Letrsquos go to the shelters before they see us
They shoot us wherever we go
But we never give up
Steadfast lsquotil the last breath when your missiles hit
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
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3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
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3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
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3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
1514
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
ألنو ما قدروا يعدونا وعدونا باملستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم مبشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا جوعونا بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنني نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا هددونا و خوفونا
بالدميقراطية سمموناحتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك مش حتقدر متشي ضدي
R a m a l l a h U n d e r g r o u n d
And Arab leaders let us down
Abandoned us fled to our enemies
Because they couldnrsquot infect us with their cowardice
They promised the future and look what they got us into
2007 the worldrsquos moving ahead and they blow us up
Starve us they wanna forget us
We spent years building and they came suddenly led us on
Threatened and frightened us
Poisoned us with democracy
Wouldnrsquot let us have a normal life
They set us right on line of fire they ruined us destroyed us dried up our blood
All that and still they couldnrsquot finish the job
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
I am trying not to care anymore but politics pulls at me
I say leave me alone
She says I am part of your life
You wonrsquot be able to resist me
T r a n s l a t e d b y L o u b n a B i l a l i
Ramallah Underground ft Lethal Skillz
The Peace Revolution 20
24420868
eng - iTunNORM 00000E33 00000D93 0000B0A7 00008C71 0001CD0B 0002129C 00008000 00008000 0000A2CF 0000633A
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
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2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
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4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
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5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
1716
)مصر داميا بتناديك(
التورتة رجعت للشعبالبورصة وقعت من اللعب
الشعار القدمي رجعالشرطة في خدمة الشعب
احلال كان صعب بس النهار ده أفضل احنا نقدر نزرع صحرتنا أخضر
اتخلصنا من حكم هتلر فرعون ملعون وبحكم تويتر وفيسبوك املصري ثاير مدعوم بلغة احلق
كانوا بيقولولنا أل مش فارقة معاهم إن شاء الله حتى االرض تنشق ثورتنا ثورة شعبية سلمية وطنية
طالبنا با حلرية الكرامة عدالة اجتماعية الشعب كان ممسوك بقبضة فوالذية
شغل مقاولة ومصالح شخصية كانوا بيتعاملوا معانا بكل همجية
يطلعوا عالقنوات الفضائية بتصاريح استفزازية
e l D e e b + E d d
(Egypt is always calling on you)
The people have regained the pie
The stockmarketrsquos been put out of commission
The old slogan is back
Police are in the service of the people
The situation was tough but today is better
We can make our desert green
We got rid of Hitlerrsquos rule a damned pharaoh
In the age of Twitter and Facebook the Egyptian walks confidently using the language of righteousness
They used to tell us no they didnrsquot care even if God wished the earth to split open
Our revolution is a popular peaceful national revolution
We have demanded freedom dignity and social justice
The people were controlled with an iron fist
Business contacts and personal interests
They treated us viciously
They appeared on satellite TV channels and issued provocative statements
rقوم يا مصري ise egypt ian
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
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3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
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3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
1918
انتصرنا في 11 فبراير بفرحة مليونية زغرطتي يا مصر يا بهية حققنا احلرية
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف هز فيك نظامك عم بخزوق قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلة
دوس على نفسك شويةاستحمل شد حيلك
ما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
ديكتاتوري هاإلنسان كان ببلد دميقراطيعايش فوق الغيم كان مرتاح رأسه فاضياملمنوع إلو مسموح كان ألن صاحبه قاضي
مطنش عاملخدرات ليضل شعبه طافيتيضل شعبه مسلطن ملتهي عم يضحك
كونه غير واعيفمن السهل فيه تتحكم ضو أخضر للشرطة
عليها ما فيك تتشكىفي حال فيك شكك بشكلك بشنغلك
تالتني سنةأكتر من أي رئيس بقي
ولك كسرسكور اإلستاذ نبيه بريمبصر بيقولوا معليه أنا التعتير إبني
eعم شوف شو في أكل من مبارح بقي ألعطيه لقمة l D e e b + E d d
We won on February 11 the joy of millions
Ululate oh Egypt oh Bahia we have achieved freedom
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production there should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
The man was a dictator in a democratic country
Living on clouds he was comfortable and carefree
What is prohibited was permitted for him because he was friends with a judge
He turned a blind eye to drugs so that his people would remain unaware
So that his people would remain high busy laughing
Because they are unconscious
It is easy to control them the police have a green light
You couldnrsquot report them
If they are suspicious of you of the way you look they would hang you
Thirty years
He ruled more than any other president
He even broke the record of Mr Nabih Berri [longstanding Lebanese head of parliament]
In Egypt they say itrsquos ok misfortune is my son
I will check what is left over from yesterday to feed it
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
2120
ملني بشكيحالتي متل هاملاليني مرتة
ولك قوم ننزل عساحة التحرير دغريب11 شهر 2 سجلنا رحيل حسني
اللي قضى كل هالسنني يشتغل عميل ضدي
ثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتبكرا أحسن من اللي فات
أنا مدنيبلوح بقلمي كأنه علمي
من عرقي بروي عملي كأنه عطشيالبركة ببلدي العربي
إني فيني كون عفويفيني قوم ثور
إذا بس كان مسموم بدنيحلريتي بالتعبير
ما في حدود حتدنيبتشوفني بساحة التحرير بوسط بيروت
مش كرمال السما ترجع زرقاإلسقاط النظام اللي احلرية سلبنا
e l D e e b + E d d
To whom will I complain
My situation like that of millions is bad
Crsquomon letrsquos go straight to Tahrir Square
On February 11 we witnessed the departure of Hosni
Who has been working as an agent all these years against mehellip
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
I am a civilian
I wave my pen as if it is my flag
I water my work with my sweat as if itrsquos my thirst
Whatrsquos good about my Arab country
Is that I can be spontaneous
I can rise up and revolt
When Irsquom angry
For my freedom of expression
There are no limitations
You see me in Tahrir Square and in downtown Beirut
But not for the sky to become blue again [in reference to the slogan of the Lebanese Future Movement]
But to topple the regime that has taken away freedom
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
2322
فترة إنتقاليةفقرة إعالنية
شاي وكليوبتراوشوش صفرا سهرانة
عالنشرة اإلخباريةركلة جزائية
واجلمهور مستني الهدفكل يوم في الصحف
نقرا نبأ عن كلب نهب البلدأوقف عندك رجع الذهب
مش إنت بردو اللي كنت مسؤول عن إعالم بلدتصاريح كاذبة كالم عجب
الصعب عدا والتاريخ إنكتبأوعى تفتكر الشعب تعب
الثورة بعد ما خلصت هلق بعدا مبلشةلدورنا شكلها وصلت وإنت بعدك بالفرشة
ولك قوم وقاف الحق بسنانك تفرشيولك قوم وقاف إذ فيك نظامك عم بخزوق
قوم يا مصري ما فيش ثورة بتخلص في يوم وليلةدوس على نفسك شوية
استحمل شد حيلكما تخافش على عجلة اإلنتاج
الزم ثورة على الذاتeبكرا أحسن من اللي فات l D e e b + E d d
A transitional period
A commercial break
Tea and Cleopatra
Yellow faces staying up at night
To follow the newscast
A penalty
The audience is waiting for the goal
Every day in newspapers
We read news about a dog that has looted the country
Stop return the gold
Werenrsquot you in charge of the countryrsquos media
False statements odd expressions
The hard part is over and history has been written
Donrsquot think that the people are exhausted
The revolution is not over yet it has just begun
Looks like itrsquos our turn now and yoursquore still in bed
Crsquomon get up Yoursquoll brush your teeth later
Crsquomon get up Move your regime is screwing you
Rise up oh Egyptian No revolution finishes in a night and a day
Bear with it a little
Have endurance and tolerance
Donrsquot be afraid of the cycle of production
There should be a revolution against oneself
Tomorrow is better than the past
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Deeb
null
2011
24930304
eng - Visit httpdeebbandcampcom
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
2524
بلسان فاكريني انو مافيهوش فن هتكلم عن كل حلم اترسم من غضبهم اتدفن
اتقسم احتاط باأللم منلفكر فاملرحلة السمعيه واحللول اللى تنقذ عناوين جانبيه ارهابية من عيون معنية باستقاللية بعد حروب عاملية محمية متدارية
منسية مرمية على اكتاف مش مرضية مستخبية بطريقة اتكالية عاالراضى العربية
بسلبية مرئية انتهازية وراء االعالم االسالمية بباينوا النيه
احتيالية عنادية سيكوباتية سرية انانية استراتيجية ضد االنسانية
و بعد املسايسة متابعة من قاعة املشاهدة لكل عربى بيتزل مستانى مساعدة
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
They presume the tongue has no art so I will speak
About every dream that was drawn from their anger and got buried
It got divided surrounded by pain
And the solutions that might work are sidelined and smeared as terrorist
From eyes that are interested in independence
After world wars protected and hidden
Forgotten and thrown on unsatisfied shoulders
Concealed with consent in Arab lands
With obvious opportunism
Beneath Islamic publicity intentions show through
Fraudulent stubborn psychopathic
A secret selfish strategy against mankind
And after politics we keep tabs on things from the screening room
For every Arab who gets humiliated I am waiting for help
prisonerThis track contains verses that were originally written in English السجني
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
2726
ماخالص كسروا بنا كلمة مسانده و من عقولنا اخدوا الورق اللى يكسب فى اللعبة
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم
عايز بلد حرة من القهر عايز بلد حرة من الشر
عايز أرضي وأرض العرب العرب العرب العرب
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
But itrsquos over they shattered for us the word ldquosolidarityldquo
And from our minds they took the cards that win the game
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Destructive destruction destroying my district
Anti-Christ running in spreading evil wisdom
Irsquom destroying the oppressors in Arabic settlements
Known for blowing up beats and governments
My peeps die in their cribs while yrsquoall close your eyes
Two of yrsquoall are kidnapped you call it a terrorist crime
The media
Is backing up
Murderous propaganda
While we fight eternally like immortal high landers
Al Durrah Sheikh Yassin the pains unseen
Forging your own stories for the blind to see
Want to draw your own opinions bout the bombs we face
Whatrsquos your opinion if yoursquore enslaved and your mom is raped
Itrsquos too easy to speak when yoursquore far from the heat
To the White House I creep and yes Irsquom armed to the teeth
With a mic and a pen and a pad herersquos your evidence
ldquoWeapons of Mass Destructionldquo Mr President
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
2928
أنا عايز بلد حرة من الظلم عايز بلد حرة من القهر
عايز بلد حرة من الشر عايز أرضي وأرض العرب
العرب العرب العرب
إحنا منمشي بالكرامة والثقة بالنفس معصنا قوانينكم بالثبوت بالدم
لو إن ضميركم بتريحكم بتتكلموا من ورا الفرد
قللي مني ما عم ينام بالليل عنجد ع بني انتو بتبنوا حواجز إحن بنكبر عيالنا
وبنظلنا نزيد العدد إحن السبب ليش ما بتسترجوا تغمضوا عني
في فرق كبير بني مقاوم ومقررين
A r a b i a n K n i g h t z + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
I want a country free of tyranny
I want a country free of oppression
I want a country free of evil
I want my land and the land of Arabs
Arabs Arabs Arabs
Theyrsquore dropping bombs over Baghdad
Libnan Afghan Palestinians Bin Laden Saddam
Listen Islam is all about the peace man
But wars up in these streets man
Got me loosinrsquo sleep damn
Mr Politician I got a little question
How come you are eating and all your peoples isnrsquot
I am on a mission to break up out of this prison
If yoursquore with me share my vision
Letrsquos start by saving the children
We walk with dignity and confidence in ourselves
We crushed your laws with our steadfastness and blood
If your conscience was giving you peace
You wouldnrsquot be communicating from behind a gun
Tell me whorsquos the one not getting sleep at night
While you build your checkpoints we raise the kids
Our numbers will keep increasing
We are the reason you donrsquot dare to blink
There is a big difference between a man of resistance and decision makers
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m + S h a d i a M a n s o u r
Arabian Knightz + Shadia Mansour
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 316
Hip Hop
26518704
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
3130
النظام العاملي اجلديداحلاسة السادسة
و بدهم يردوا يعلموك النشيدنار شديد بس كله نسبي
جينا و نسيناأخبار فورية بتنهضم و بتمشينا
إللي فينا مكفينا رايح عغزة بالسفينة
و ما يأتي قبل الفكر أم الفعلملجرد الذكر لشخص مبنج قلب نكد وزعل
و طلب السعرمش حنبيع
ملا بتشتي بتشتي عاجلميعو زمن أول حتول
و مش قادرين نتجول فا مش حنضيعbشيء مريع o i k u t t
The new world order
The sixth sense
And they want to teach you the anthem anew
Heavy fire but itrsquos all relative
We came and forgot
Instant news digested and keeps us moving
Wersquove had enough
Going to Gaza by boat
What comes first Thought or action
The mere question to a numb person makes him grumpy and upset
And asking for the price
We wonrsquot sell
When it rains it rains over everybody
The old times have changed
We are under house arrest so we wonrsquot get lost
Itrsquos a horrible thing
igniteولع
boikutt
null
1746378
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
3332
مرات بتفهم النبرة غلطبس هلئ فهمني منيح
جريح بدون تلقيح تصريح صريح بدون تلميح
فظيعكيف خلونا نطيع
بوقت تشييع جثمان الضاضمضاض لإلنتفاض ثورة الثروة قيد التصنيع
فيعبوجه عقود بقبضة من حديد
من هون لقرية بال متديدبدون مانروح لبعيد
جتميد روؤس أموال و نوويةمصلحة أول مستفيد
بتدوب بشعلة من سيدي بوزيد
ولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعشوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
من حكام لنوابو ال استثني احدا منكم
ما بيهمكمحلد ما الهتافات تتوجه إلكم إتهزكم
أفهمكمbاإلستبداد تارك الشارع بإستعداد o i k u t t
Sometimes you misunderstand a tone
But now you understand me correctly
Wounded without vaccination
A blatant statement without any hinting
Unbelievable
How they made us obey
At the funeral of the corpse of the [quintessential Arabic letter] Ddad
Counter revolution the revolution of wealth is in process
Rise
In the face of decades under an iron fist
From here to a village without extension
Without going too far
Freezing of capital and nuclear war heads
The interest of the primary beneficiary
Melts with a flame from Sidibouzid
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
From leaders to parliamentarians
I do not exclude any of you
But you donrsquot care
Until chants are directed at you and shake you
Let me explain
Tyranny leaves the street prepared
boikutt
null
1746378
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
3534
من املزارع بوسط البالدفعل مضارع للرماد
فا إنصرف زاي فلوس الدولة إللي طريقها إنحرفوإنعرف و إنصبت بجيوب هالطرف من شوفرية الشرف
حتية خاصة ألسود ميدان التحريرلتعديل دستور التعتير
إن صح التعبير
عندي نظر األطرشو سمع األعمى
عايشني حياة و مكلبشني باخلوف بنفس الوقت فا قللي شو املعنىتاريخ شجعنا
الوضع الراهن منعناناس بتمر و بتسمعنا
بدون جتاوب جتارب فجاوبيا ضدنا يا معنا
إرفع قبضة الصمود فوق في الهوا ثابتةإنتفاضة أولى و ثانية بس الثالثة نابتة
أطراف كابتةبس قد ما يحاولوا ميحوا ويحطوا الناس كاتبة
بالتفاصيل و كامتة
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلع
ولع شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعصوت الثورة بكل مكان و عم منسمع
ولعhellip شوف اكمن دكتاتور منقلعbو صفهم عالدور واحد واحدhellipو شنع o i k u t t
From the farmers in the center
Changing present tense to ashes
So vanish like the statersquos money whose road has deviated
It is known that it ended up in the pockets of the corrupt who claim to be clean
A special salute to the lions of Tahrir Square
For amending the constitution of misfortune
If that can be said
I have the sight of the deaf
And the hearing of the blind
Leading a life while chained by fear at the same time so tell me whatrsquos the point
History encouraged us
The current situation prevented us
People pass by and hear us
Without any response -- testing -- so answer
Yoursquore either with us or against us
Raise the fist of resistance up in the air
A first and second Intifada but the third is sprouting
Oppressive groups
No matter how hard they try to erase and replace people have written
In details and know by heart
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
The sound of revolution is everywhere we make it heard
Ignitesee how many dictators wersquoll uproot
Line them up in turn one after the other and defame them
T r a n s l a t e d b y F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
boikutt
null
1746378
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
3736
ولك انا ابن عكا وبن يافا و طولكرم انا ابن كل شبر من البحر للنهر
االرض الي حملت موسى مرمي واملسيح انااملقابر يلي فاضت من كتر التوابيت
انا اخليمة بيت التنك واحلصيرة والكانون والبيوت املسروقة والدم املهدور
انا الهوى يالي حامل الغضب والبكاوالطرقات يلي بتغرق مع كل نقطة الشتا
انا رصاصة من املجاهد عم تعبر حلدود انا حزام من القنابل مشتاق لليهود
لطفل على باب املستشفى عم بيموتانا الجئ ممنوع من العمل مكروه
انا اين املخيم يلي عاطل عن العمل سيجارة احلشيش يلي بتمحي شوية الم
H 2 Z
Irsquom the son of Acre Jaffa and Tulkarem
Irsquom the son of every inch from the river to the sea
Irsquom the land that carried Moses Mary and the Christ
Irsquom the cemeteries that overflow with coffins
Irsquom the tent the tin house the mat and the stove
The stolen houses and the wasted blood
Irsquom the wind that bears anger and tears
The roads that drown in a single drop of rain
I am a bullet that crosses borders
Irsquom a grenade against Zionists
A child that dies waiting outside the hospital
Irsquom a hated refugee whorsquos prohibited from working
Irsquom the son of the camps always unemployed
The hash cigarettes that ease the pain
iانا فلسطيني am palest inian
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
3938
حيطان هالبيت يلي بكره رح ينردم انا االحمر واالسود واالخضر من هالعلم
من دم االبطال من دموع الاطفالمن اجلحيم التشرد واجلوء واالنكسار
من ظلم االحتاللمن حلم االستقالل
من ارض الزيتونوالصليب والهالل
انا حافظ احلواجز بكل بالد العالممن النادر انو بيوم يعتبروني بني ادم انا سنني االعتقال انا غرف التعذيب
الوجع والصريخ واجلروح الي ما بطيبانا شعب ما انهزم بس عمرو ما انتصر
انا اكبر ارهابي الني حامل حجر اسير طول عمرو رافض انو بيوم ميوت بس معاهدة سالم بتنفي اني موجود
انا القدس بيت حلم ومخيم جننياالدان واجلراس الهالل والصليب
املدافن واملدارس وكنسية املسيح الشوارع القدمية والبيت العتيق
انا ركوة الشاي و سندويشة الفالفلالكرم والبخل واالخالق واملهازل
الكذب والصدق واخليانة والصمود Hانا فلسطيني حلتى اموت 2 Z
The walls of the house that I hate thatrsquos about to get demolished
I am the red and black and green in this flag
From the blood of heroes from the tears of children
From the hell of homelessness and broken refugees
From the oppression of the occupation
From the dream of independence
Irsquom from the land of the olives
The cross and crescent
I know all the checkpoints in all countries of the world
It is where they consider me a human being
Irsquom years of capture Irsquom the torture chambers
The pain and the screams and the wounds that never heal
I was never defeated but never had a victory
Irsquom the biggest terrorist because I carry a stone
A prisoner who spends his whole life refusing to die
But a peace treaty forgets that Irsquom alive
Irsquom Jerusalem Bethlehem and Jenin refugee camp
The call to prayer the bells the crescent and the cross
The old cemeteries schools and church of Christ
The old streets and the ancient house
Irsquom the tea cup and the falafel sandwich
Generosity and greed morality and farce
Lies and betrayal and honesty and persistence
I am Palestinian until I die
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
H27
null
17782504
eng - iTunNORM 0000057E 0000056B 00004E0F 00004D32 00021C96 00021C96 00008000 00008000 0000ECEA 00007530
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
4140
صباح اخلير با والد عمومناتفضلوا شرفونا
شو بتحبوا نضيفكم دم عربي وال دموع من عيوننابعتقد هيك تأملوا نستقبلن
هيك تعقدوا ملا تدركوا على غلطتهنمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
البيضة والسودةصاروا كالب الزمان يلبسوها كموضة
مهما تفننوا فيامهما غيروا بلونا
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
حطتنا بدن ياهاثقافتنا بدن ياها
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Good morning cousins
Come in and honor us with your presence
What would you like us to serve you Arab blood or tears from our eyes
I think thatrsquos how they hoped we would recieve them
Thatrsquos why they got tangled up when they tripped up on their own mistake
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
The black and white one
Dogs of the past started to wear it as a fashion statement
However they change it
Whatever colour they make it
The Kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
Our scarf they want it
Our intellect they want it
kufeyyeh arabeyyeh الكوفية عربية
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
4342
كرامتنا بدن ياهاكل شي إلنا بدن ياه
ما رح نسكتلن نسمحلن الالبقلن يسرقوا شغلة مش إلهن ما خصن فيا
بيقلدونا باللبسكل هاألرض بيكفيهنش
طمعانني عالقدسإعرفوا كيف تكونوا بشر
قبل ما تلبسوا الكوفيةجينا نذكرن مني إحنا
وغصبا من عن أبوهم هاي حطتنا
من هيك لبسنا الكوفيةألنها وطنية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةمن هيك لبسنا الكوفية
هويتنا األساسيةالكوفية الكوفية عربية
يال علي الكوفيةعلولي هالكوفية
الكوفية الكوفية عربيةعلوها لبالد الشام
كوفية عربية بتضال عربية
ما في بعد متل الشعب العربيفرجوني أية أمة بالدنيا أكثر مأثرة
الصورة واضحة نحنا مهد احلضارة
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our dignity they want it
Everything thatrsquos ours they want it
We will not be silent will not allow it
It suits them to steal something that ainrsquot theirs
They imitate our style
As if all this land werenrsquot not enough
Thirsting after Jerusalem
Know how to be human
Before you wear our scarf
We came to remind them who we are
And like it or not itrsquos our right
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is nationalistic
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Thatrsquos why we wore the kufeyyeh
Because it is our original identity
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Come on raise your kufeyyehs
Raise that kufeyyeh
The kufeyyeh is Arab
Raise it up for bilad ersquosham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
The kufeyyeh is Arab and will always be Arab
There are no others like the Arab people
Show me one region in the world that is more influencial
The picture is clear we are the origins of civilization
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
4544
تاريخنا وتراثنا الشاهد على وجودنامن هيك لبست التوب الفلسطيني
من حيفا جنني جبل النار إلى رام اللهخليني شوف الكوفية
البيضة واحلمراخلينا نعليها لفوق بالسما
أنا شادية العربلساني بغز غزبلساني بهز هز
كلمات احلربسجل أنا شادية منصور
واحلطة هويتيمن يوم ما خلقت
سيدي والشعب مسؤوليتيلكن تربيت بني الشرق وبني الغرب
بني لغتنيبني بخيل بني فقير
شفت احلياة من اجلهتنيبس علمتني الكوفية
كيف ما لبستونيوين ما شلحتوني
بضلني عأصولي فلسطينية
S h a d i a M a n s o u r w i t h M 1 o f D e a d P r e z
Our history traditions and customs bear witness to our existence
Thatrsquos why I wear the Palestinian dress
From Haifa Jenin Jabal El Naar to Ramallah
Let me see the kufeyyeh
The red and white one
Letrsquos raise it up to the sky
I am the singer of the Arabs
Like an earthquake I shake the ground
My words are war
Record this
I am Shadia Mansour
And this scarf is my ID
From the day I was born the people have been my responsibility
Look I was raised between the East and the West
Between two languages
Between the rich and the poor
Irsquove seen life from both sides
However the kufeyyeh has taught me
However you wear me
Wherever you leave me
I stay true to my origin Palestinian
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h F a r a h E l R e w a i s s a t i
Shadia Mansour and M1
Shahadat Winter 2012 track 616
Hip Hop
26239166
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
4746
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
وين الوعي - وين امشوا معي هني وادي بني اجلبلني عني حب للطرفني
أمهاتنا حبت ذاتنا بس مو عاجبهن مسباتنا هذا احلكي بني اخواتنا
Oزين العرب واألمريكان m a r O f f e n d u m
This track contains verses that were originally written in English
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Consciousness What consciousness - where is it
Take a walk with me
Here in this valley between two ldquomountainsldquo
Where the source of love for both ldquosidesldquo can be found
Our mothers like us
But donrsquot like our foul language
So letrsquos keep this between the siblings
The best of Arabs amp Americans
destمصيري iny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
4948
وألله يرحم كل أمواتنا أغاني
مثل املهامتة إذا قلنا العني بالعني
ما صفى عندنا عيون بالشام بالد الشام
من فلسطني إلى جبال لبنان قبل ما اخترعوا احلدود
من اإلسكندرون إلى كردستان فهمان
جنجس خان ما خان قد ما خانونا أوالد العم بس دمنا دمهم
بني أدم - بنو ذمنبهم على أكتافنا - شلنا همهم
ليه الله بيعلم
بس ليك هذا الفتيش والبسكليت احسنلك من 100000000 مسدس
تعرف ليه ألن مو عاجبهم بسمتك
بس إبتسم برسمتك شاب عربي ومثقف
أعطيهم ختمتك وإذا لسة مو راضني
ذكرهم بكالم إيليية )أبي ماضي( raquoنسي الطني ساعة أنه طنيlaquo
Oوهذه هي القضاء والقدر يا حبيبي m a r O f f e n d u m
And may God have mercy on all our dead
Songs I sing
Like the Mahatma [the line above and the line below are linked through the sound of the name and the figure of Mahatama Ghandi]
If we say lsquoan eye for an eyersquo
There wont be any eyes left in Sham [Damascus]
Bilad al-Sham [Greater Syria the wider Arab world]
From Palestine to the mountains of Lebanon
Before they made up these borders
From Iskandaroon to Kurdistan
Understand
Genghis Khan never deceived us quite like our ldquopaternal cousinsldquo [khan also means ldquodeceiveldquo in Arabic]
But our blood is their blood
Children of Adam -- who built their sins
Upon our shoulders -- we carried their burden
Why
God knows
But listen this little firecracker amp bicycle
Are better for you than 100 million guns
Wanna know why
Because they dont like seeing you smile
But smile you will - in your human being
A young cultured Arab male
Give them your stamp of approval
And if they still donrsquot accept you
Then remind them of the words of Elliye [Abi-Madhee a Lebanese poet whose poem begins with]
ldquoHow soon a piece of dirt can forget that all he really is is just dirtldquo [ie we are all from this earth amp
will come back to it so there is no logic in viewing yourself as better than someone else]
And that my friend is our destiny
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
5150
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Make it easier to borrow
The aesthetics you bite
Like all the Arabic loanwords
From Spaniards amp Morros
The Karma of Inquisition
Visions of horror
So whorsquos the explorer
Really was it Columbus
Muhammad al-Idrisi or Alfaragnus
Throw a Hobson Jobson
While you figure it out
Irsquom gonna start with a cipher
Thatrsquos a siffir [zero] - no doubt
See you might not have learned to live with me
But sure as hell canrsquot without
You are my
You are my
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
I write right to left
You write left to right
Metaphor of a foreignerrsquos plight
Dressed to type
Stereo amp a mic
Scenario of a fight
The burial of a white
Imperial at his heightrsquos
A Turkish Rapperrsquos Delight
Semetic etiquette might
Just have you rollin your ldquoRrsquosldquo
Poetic amp light
And grab a hold of your sorrows
To relieve your tomorrows
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
5352
O m a r O f f e n d u m
Dove of Peace
Spread your wings amp fly
Bitched out by the West
Press get a big shout
From the people gettinrsquo rich out of this (bout)
Now whatrsquos this really all about
Land money or power
It was the colonizerrsquos fault
But now itrsquos really just ours
Leavinrsquo a sour tase in our mouths
Like generational slave names
Whenever speakinrsquo out
Out-spoken leaders gettinrsquo taken out
Quicker than belligerent drunks in a bar
We a far cry from livinrsquo as one
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
(Destiny)
Itrsquos hard livinrsquo in the West - when I know the East got the best of me
(Destiny)
Could be lookinrsquo in my eyes - but yoursquoll never really see the rest of me
(Destiny)
Can you hear me maseeri [my destiny] Bi-lingualrsquos what Irsquom blessed to be
(Destiny)
حمامة سالم افتحي أجنحتكي و طيري
See arab [Arabs] shootin at each other
From Iraq to Falasteen [Palastine]
Syria to Libnan [Lebanon]
Algeria to Sudan
Pedagogy of the oppressed tricklinrsquo down
Conquerinrsquo through divisions
And sadly this isnrsquot the first time
One land one love one chance one blood
No fuss no fight Yeah right young blood
AKrsquos cheaper than a book
Crooked leaders in a hook
Gettinrsquo fished out
Missles gettinrsquo dished out
Omar Offendum
The Peace Revolution 20
21332892
eng - iTunNORM 000006D3 000006F2 000038BA 0000322F 0000E4FA 0000E4FA 00008716 0000864B 0002AB5E 000083D6
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 0000094B 00000000008F7FA5 00000000 004108FB 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
5554
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
النه الوقت عم يسبق بقلك خي سالم بس اصبر
بدك تستني هاي اخلطط بعمرها ما تضبطبيدفعلك قد ما بدك عشان تسكت
واذا بتفتح متك طخة وحده وبعد بتسقط
s t o r m t r a p
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
Because time is racing
He keeps telling you peace is coming just be patient
You want to wait these plans never succeed
Hersquoll pay you as much as you want to keep you quiet
And if you open your mouth one shot will silence you
what happened yesterdayزي ما صار مبارح
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
5756
اركض اركض وخليك راكض
واذا بتفتح متك رح يقلك خليك ساكت رح يقلك انساك من هاملشاكل
حوشوا هالشواك وضبوا شناتكم واشتروا التذاكرففكر شوي وما تكنش أهبل
وين ما تروح في الدنيا رح تتبهدلمش شايف قدامي عم بسمع أصوات بيسألني
ليش لسه عايش هون روح عيش محل تانيبدي احك بس الكلمات مش طالعة من لساني
عنصرية هونن عنصرية هناك عنصرية كل ما اطلع برا الشباك
شيطان بيعمل حاله مالكبس هو بالواقع بدو يعيش بالك
جدار بيمثل عقلية ناس بدهاش تعيش معاك
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
ما مبثل شخص او اشخاص مبثل فكرةاسم احلرية حاملينه
من بلد ما فيه حياة عاديةسواءا ضد االحتالل أو ضد العنصرية
أصواتكم وينايي خلوها تنسمع وتطلع نتائج ايجابية
فكمل كتابة او تسجيل وصدقني شغلك مش رايح عالفاضي
عشان الشي الوحيد اللي رح يروح هو احن اذا منضلنا علقانني فاملاضي
s t o r m t r a p
Run run
Keep running
And if you decide to speak hersquoll tell you just stay silent
Hersquoll tell you forget these problems
Save up some money pack your bags and buy your tickets
Think about it donrsquot be a fool
Wherever you go yoursquoll get humiliated
I canrsquot see in front of me Irsquom hearing voices asking
Why are you still living here Go live somewhere else
I want to respond but the words wonrsquot come out
Racism here racism there
Racism each time I look out the window
A devil in an angelrsquos disguise
In reality he wants to live without you
The apartheid wall represents the mentality of a people who donrsquot care to coexist
What happened yesterday happens today
switch off your TV and grab a microphone
I dont represent a person or a people I represent an idea
An idea called freedom
From a land lacking a normal life
Whether yoursquore struggling against occupation or against racism
Where is your voice
Let it be heard to achieve your goals
So keep writing and recording
Believe me your work wonrsquot be lost in vain
The only thing thatrsquoll disappear is us
If we stay stuck in the past
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
5958
شو الي حدثجينا من حتت األرض
هيهة القصة بدة عنا هدفوننشر أصواتنا لكل حدا
جيت من حتت أرض رام اللهما ح وقف اكتب كلمات وال مرة
عندي طاقة الزم أطلعها كل يوم وكل ساعةفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
تصورفاو انبنى مع الوقت ولسة عم بيطور تصور
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
زي ما صار مبارح صار اليوم اطف التلفزيون امسك مايكروفون
s t o r m t r a p
What happened
We came from underground
The story begins we have an objective
To spread our voices to everyone
I came from the ruins of Ramallah and
I wonrsquot ever stop writing words
I have energy that I must release every day every hour
A flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing imagine
Imagine a flow thatrsquos been built and is still developing
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
What happened yesterday happens today
Switch off your TV and grab a microphone
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t
Stormtrap
null
2009
1728613
eng - Visit httpstormtrapbandcampcom
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
6160
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
I see you plagued by your own doubt
Canrsquot step the game up
Like a snake when it rolled down
Staircase of a lone child
No bricks lain in a cold house
Where you sold out
All alone on an old couch
t h e N a r c i c y s t
No click like an untapped phone dial
Oh wow
I felt the same homie
Donrsquot shelter pain only
Then it came slowly
Never let the frame hold me (down)
Picture life for the love though
People tend to look the other way like Columbo
We deceived by the law just to love doe
Guess they took all the worth out to numb folks
And make a severed plan
Out of bitter man
What you want a medal man
Huh Do you really think yoursquore better than Then
All you really need is a long look
Two sixteens and a strong hook like
brassThis track was originally written in English
null
2149748
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
6362
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
Break
Hip hop like a fresh pelvis
Yoursquore gonna regret this shit like a dead Elvis
Busy wishing you could live less selfish
Crabs in a bucket duckinrsquo these dead shellfish
Industry got a brother feeling helpless
With an ill chorus and ride yoursquore more in the tide
When a flow canrsquot keep me above the water
t h e N a r c i c y s t
Let a wave carry me out and push me farther now
Internal Inferno ten journals written but Irsquom still not sure though
Do I really want to tour to jump hurdles To be heard
So-I-Can-Feel-Like-This
Man therersquos something that I might miss--
Naw Irsquove been bluffinrsquo
Lifersquos backwards like Ben Buttonsrsquo
Irsquom in love with the stage fright on a strange night
Feels good to get the words on a page right
Wake up the People
Donrsquot doubt it
The Maker can see you
Right now
You want to get out and see doe
So clouded
Sell out to be dope
Right now
null
2149748
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
6564
مبارح شفت بلمنام بيروت عمتغرق حتت رماد بركان فحموا الناس بس ال raquoسكاي بارlaquo كان بعده ولعان
بيروت ثبتت حبة الثورة اللي فينا نبتت ملا أحبطت نفوسنا من اجلمود
فينا بيروت حتركت عدم دمارنا وعدم حرية خيارنا
بيوت بيروت تعمرت سكرنا عجفاف دموعنا جفوننا عليها تسكرت فتخمرت
إذا بطلت تطير قدرك عألرض مقهور إذا وقفت تكسير بتصير جزء من الديكور
e l R a s s
Yesterday I dreamt Beirut was drowning under volcanic ash
The people were turned to charcoal but Sky Bar [a posh Beirut club] was still lit up
Beirut suppressed the seed of the revolution the one that sprouted
When our spirits were foiled from immobility
In us Beirut moved
On the blood of our destruction and the negation of our freedom of choice
The houses of Beirut are rebuilt
We got drunk on the dryness of our tears our eyelids closed on them and fermented
If you stop flying your destiny on land is distress
If you stop breaking you become part of the decoration
beirutبركان بيروت rsquos volcano
Blues
2125713
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
6766
بحاور بناور باآلخر بواجه التاج بتوضى بصلي بتوصلني أصوات أنات احملتاج
تأمل العلم بعري العمل من العمل خياري عنار خفيفة دوب املسمار وتستوي األفكار النظيفة
عمروا دمروا زمروا تذمروا ربك صبره دربه جربه
عقلن خربوا غربوا هربوا وقبلوا بالفن عحيط الشارع
عشرط ما يكون في شك بشارع هيدي مش عاصمة ثقافة هيدي حلبة املصارع بيروت ال تعرف في املاضي وال تعرب باملضارع
حتول التركيبة خلى العقل اجلامد فكر حاله مالك املدينة رقبته طويلة متل مالك احلزين وايده لوزيري
اعتبر نفسه أول مني اكتشف هلجزيرة بأجر الفقير شقق بأسعار مدروسة
بشكل تضل طموحاته ممعوسة نهبوا األرض من ربعي وصارت احلرب شركة استثمار مبفعول رجعي
حتت شعار إعادة اإلعمار لو ما كان خلص دوره وانتهى عقد االيجار
كان احلريري ما طار وما صار مطار احلريري عاصمة لبنان بتوازن بني ضريحني
واتنيناتن عاغتيالن في عالمة استفهام e واحد قدس املوت بس لسبب l R a s s
I discuss I maneuver ultimately I confront the crown
I perform ablutions I pray I receive the moaning of the needy
The meditation of knowledge strips work from hope
My choice is on low fire melting the nails and clean thoughts are ripening
They built they destroyed they honked they complained
Your god made him patient tested him and trained him
Their minds ruined westernized chased off
They accepted art pissed on back alleys
As long as there is no doubt in the streets
This is no capital of culture itrsquos a wrestling ring
Beirut canrsquot speak of itself in the past nor conjugate itself in the present
Transitions and transformations made the closed mind think he owns the city
His neck is long like a stork his fingers long like a politicianrsquos
He thinks himself the first who discovered this peninsula
He lets the poor rent apartments at prices studied
To crush ambitions
They stole the land from my cousins
And the war became a backward-looking investment
Under the slogan of reconstruction
If his time wasnrsquot up and his contract finished
Hariri didnrsquot have to fly and it wouldnrsquot have become the Hariri airport
Lebanonrsquos capital keeps balance between two shrines
And on both assassinations there is a question mark
One sanctifies death but for a reason
Blues
2125713
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
6968
واحد قدس احلياة بس بالكذب واحد بايدو حتول الذهب سم وواحد تخبى من الذهب بالدم
مني الشهيد
اللي مات حتت صبابيط ثورة عبيد شهيد اللي مات فتحول على حملة اعالنات هدفها ترفع الطايفة معدالت التجنيد
قنابل بالبريد وصل سيوف علوريد حصل
املوت للبليد صنم الصبر للعنيد حلم تأليه الشهيد ظلم
خليط احلديد والدم العالج والسم الرفاه والهم النوعية والكم
الدعارة وورقة التوت مبدينة بيروت علم
e l R a s s
And one sanctifies life with lies
In onersquos hand gold turned into poison
And the other hid from gold with blood
Who is the martyr
The one who died under the shoes of the oppressedrsquos uprising is a martyr
Is it he whose death was transformed into an advertising campaign to raise the levels of
sectarian enlistment
Bombs came in the mail
Swords to the jugular true stories
Death to the cold is statuette
Patience to the stubborn is a dream
Divinity to the martyr is oppression
The mixture of steel and blood the cure and poison
Luxury and distress quality and quantity
Prostitution and modesty
The science of the city of Beirut
T r a n s l a t e d b y M o e A l i N a y e l amp + A z i z
Blues
2125713
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
7170
بقرأ في اجلريدة زفت شوارع جديدة
إزالة مطبات و كثير أشياء هيك مفيدة أشخاص مستفيدة
دعم من هون و من هون منظمات بس احلرية بعيدة
مقاطعة مستوطنات تعون الضفة الغربية وطنية حصرية إدعائية
طب و فلسطني التاريخية مع ألساس كانت القدس عاصمة الثقافة العربية
بس كلوحكي سياسية للشعب إحنا نتحمل الشغل و التعب و الوضع صعب
b o i k u t t
Irsquom reading in the paper
About roads newly paved
Speed bumps removed and a lot of other useful stuff (yes very)
Certain inviduals benefit
Funding from here and there
Organizations are plentiful but freedom is far-fetched
Calling for a boycott of settlements around the West Bank
Pretentious exclusive nationalism
But what about historical Palestine
I thought Jerusalem was supposed to be the ldquocapital of Arab cultureldquo
But itrsquos all political speeches for the people
We put up with the work and the sweat and itrsquos rough
a letterرسالة من مقاطعة from boikutt
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
7372
يقنعونا إن كلشي متام و بقدر أعيش حياة عادية
زي في األفالم على مبس واحد إثنني ثالثة أربعة إلخ
كن منيح و بتنزل عليك املصاري زخ نصيحة من أخ ألخ
خليك مستقل ألن اللعبة إنلعب فإبعد عن الفخ
خليهم يقعدوا يستنوا الدعم ليموتوا يلفلفوا داخل اجلدار حلد ما يفوتوا
في متاهات مبسافات مش محددة مجددة لتوسع التوسع مش مهددة
إنتهاك احتالل بس مش على الكل
في ناس في فلسطني هون حياتهم زي الفل مش عارف شو بيفكر
شكلوا مش داري شي يوم حنروح كل الدكاكني هي حتسكر
سالم
b o i k u t t
Try to convince me that everythingrsquos fine
And that I can lead a normal life
Like in the movies
On MBC one two three four etcetera
Be good and money will rain on you
Advice from one brother to another
Stay independent because the games are being played
So steer clear of the trap
Let them wait for foreign aid until they die
Spinning in circles within the apartheid wall until they enter
Into unlimited mazes with unspecified spaces
That are renewed to fit settlement expansion unthreatened
Violation occupation
But not for everyone
There are people here in Palestine living ldquothe good lifeldquo
I donrsquot know what hersquos thinking
Seems like he doesnrsquot know one day wersquoll be gone
And all these shops will close
Peace
T r a n s l a t e d b y t h e a r t i s t w i t h L o u b n a B i l a l i
boikutt
null
2010
1086983
eng - iTunPGAP0
eng - iTunNORM 00000A1E 00000A0E 000099D9 000098A0 0000CC63 0000CC63 0000826D 000080B0 000131D0 000131D0
eng - iTunSMPB 00000000 00000210 000008F3 000000000049197D 00000000 0027BA9D 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
7574
الضغط عاليالعدو فات جاري احملادثات
صمت دوليكمية الغازى عم تزداد
تهجير جديد مولود جديدتكرر عزو مش تارك ورا شي مفيد غير غراب
من كل البيت ما تركو شي إال البابمن االرض ل سما مسافة عاليه
إمشي الصحرا وعد لياليوجنوما
كمشوا رئيس دولة بجورةحصار
توزيع مخدراتباألحمر تلون الفرات سجون معتقالتقبلة الوداع مع الصبات
تنصت بالشبكة خيانات باألزهر
k a t i b e h 5
The pressure is high
The enemy has entered discussions are taking place
Global silence
The numbers of the occupier are increasing
A new expulsion A newborn child
The perpetuation of an invasion that leaves behind it nothing of any use except for a crow
From an entire house they left nothing but the door
From the ground to the sky is a long distance
Walk the desert and count the nights
And its stars
They caught a president in a pit
Siege
Drug dealing the Euphrates is stained red prisons detention centers
A farewell kiss with a shoe
Networks wiretapped betrayals in Al Azhar
hold me back ifهديني اذا فيك you can
null
23098943
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
7776
حوار أديانالكف تنجس
متسح فيه وجك مع كل شروق عالوضوءتسمع شرارة فتيل مولوتوف ينادي أصوات تتلبى
باإلنفجار
هديني إذا فيك صرت موجود بكل مكانوجي مغبش عامل زي جيش زباتا
منصرخ بوجكم raquoاحلرية ل برغوتيlaquoإعالمكو بيعرفني كلماتكو حملت إسمي
شركاتكو بتهرب مني )كتيبه خمسه هديتي إذا فيك(
بتالقيني بني والد حفظوا غنية املخيماتبنفسية فالح عمال يزو املدينة
افالم تافهةبرنامج تافه
بتدور على مخك بتالقي مش موجوداخلليج يتحكم بإعالم
هادول حبوب التنومي ٦1 سنة بعدن مش شغالني
عالمادامك واخد وجهة نظري
ع محمل اجلدمسموح لك تستعجب وتظهر إنزعاجك بوجودي
ألني صديق لكل املشاهد الغير مرغوبة فيهاش بيختار حياتو بالتحديد بحكيلك هيك منحياها ومحد
ضغط رصاص وابارود بخليكاش حتيدالتجارب بتدلك عطريق
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A dialogue of religions
The hand is tainted
And with it you cleanse your face at ablution each sunrise
You hear the sparking of the fuse of a molotov calling voices respond
Explosion
Hold me back if you can I have become present everywhere
My face is concealed like the army of Zapata
We shout in your face ldquoFreedom for Barghoutildquo
Your media knows me your words have glimpsed my name
Your corporations flee from me
(Katibe Khamseh hold me back if you can)
Yoursquoll find me among children that have memorized the song ldquoAl Moukhayamatldquo
In the persona of a peasant that is visiting the city
Shallow films
Shallow programs
You look for your mind but you find it is not there
The Gulf controls media with its boundaries
These sleeping pills 61 years and theyrsquore still not effective
Great
As long as you are taking my point of view seriously
Yoursquore allowed to be taken aback and to show your irritation
Just like you show your irritation at my presence
Because I am a friend to all the images that are not desirable
This is how we live out these images and no one chooses their life specifically Irsquoll tell you
The pressure of bullets and gunpowder does not allow you to move away
Experience will guide you on the road
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
7978
موقف واحد صريح من صميم روح لشعوب املقاومة ضمير ظهور البشرية
السبيل صعب ورا الغضبدعم لكل أسالوب محارب
د لنحرق نظامك منتدرب منجرب منخرب منستععم نحرق نظامك
هديتي إذا فيك
إطلع منيحمش رح تقدر توخذ كل شي من أول نظرة
نظرة عامة raquoبشرة مش بيضةlaquoجبني عريضة مكتوب مولود عنيد بالفطرة
فوت بالتقاليد عد التجاعيدلك هاي مش أول مرة
لغات ودراسات حط العلم بغالفمش رح تقدر تفهم ليه بعد في بارود ع الكتافلون األرض ولون الليل بيعطيك البني و السواد
بوعدك مش لوحدي رح أضل عد رماد الال اللعبة اجلديدة وال والدنا ع اللعبة جداد
بكفيش إنفلونزا الصقور صار في إنفلونزا اخلنازيرموسم مرض جديد لرئيس مبثل ع نفوس ومريض بهدوء البيض
هديتي إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
A single honest stance from the bottom of the soul for the people of the resistance the conscience
that exposes humanity
The path is difficult when following anger
A support for every style of battle
We train we strive we disrupt we prepare to burn your system
We are burning your system
Hold me back if you can
Look closely
You wonrsquot be able to see it all at first sight
An overview ldquocomplexion that is not whiteldquo
A broad forehead written born stubborn by nature
Look at the traditions and count the wrinkles
This is not the first time
Languages and scholarship put education under wraps
You wonrsquot be able to understand why there is still gunpowder on shoulders
The color of earth and the color of night gives you brown and blackness
I promise you that I will not be alone to count the ashes no
This game to us is not new and nor are our children new to the game
As if the influenza of eagles was not enough now therersquos the influenza of pigs
The season of a new disease for a president acting for a public and sick with the
calmness of white people
Hold me back if you can
null
23098943
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
8180
اإلحتالل نكه البشر بنكهة املجاريبالسالم حوار أديانبإقرار ملكية كذابة
بتشويه تاريخ وسرقة حضاراتولك أه
فلسطني إفريقيا الدجلة والفراتإجتاه البشرية لإلضمحالل سرطان بشري بعضها
الشتا ميسح اخلطايا واآلثاروليش بتتخبى وبتتغطى بنفس كل سفارة سميك الستار
لساتني باكل الضربة ورا الضره ورا الضربةوحتى ما أفعل وأساوي تكمشني الرجفة
بدل ما أضرب فيك بضرب بحاليبوعدكش حضلني كامش حالي حفلتها
حفلتها
هديني إذا فيك هديني إذا فيكهديني إذا فيك
k a t i b e h 5
The occupation has seasoned humanity with the flavor of sewers
With peace with dialogue of religions
With the declaration of false ownership
With the distortion of history and the theft of civilizations
Oh yes
Palestine Africa the Tigris and Euphrates
Humanity is leading to reduction a human cancer bites it
Exile wipes clean the sins and the traces
And why are you hiding and seeking cover when all the embassies are already well concealed
I am still taking one beating after another
And so that I donrsquot take action and do something shudders grip my body
Instead of beating you I beat myself
I canrsquot promise you that I can keep myself restrained
Irsquom gonna let go
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
Hold me back if you can
T r a n s l a t e d b y R i m a N a j d i a n d F a y s a l B i b i
null
23098943
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
8382
طول عمر الشعب املصري مع بعض أحلك الظروفبص وفر في التاريخ وانت ياما هاتشوف
الدين ده ليا وليكوفيا وفيك
حاجة روحانية بتخليك حتس اللي بيك
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
واحد اتننيالذكري بتعيش اكتر من عمر االنسان
بصمتنا تغييرنا جوة وبرة امليدان مش هانضيع نصر ثورتنا بفتنة نشئت بينا
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The Egyptian people have always stuck together
Through the worst times look at history
And see how often wersquove been there for each other
That whole idea of religion
Is for you and for me something spiritual that makes you feel whatrsquos inside you
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the celebration
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
One two
The memory lasts more than a lifetime
Our mark is our change in and outside Tahrir Square
We wonrsquot give up the victory of our revolution in exchange for sectarian strife between
us
hand inايد في ايد hand
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
8584
بلدنا محتجانا ايدنا واحدة ضد احملنة تفرق ايه معاك ديانتي ملا ربك هو ربي
اصلك هو اصلي ارضك هي ارضي
ملا اتقال لي اكتت فيول فتنة انا قولت غلط علشان الفتنة مفتعلة في بلدنا وكان وراها غرض
فالفرد افترض فبفرض السياسة األمر اختلط
فالزم يبقي املصل سياسي من اصل املرض العسس واحلرس مافرقوش صليب وهالل
وكنا كلنا واحد وراء االقفالدم الشهيد شاهد
ياما بالفتنة انكسرنا وحدتنا بصوت واحد وضد الظلم انتصرنا
وديني هو ديني صلة بيني وبني ربي هارفع علمي وارفع راسي فوق
انا مصري
ايد في ايد نبني فيها من جديد
مصر زعلت علي حاصل وسطنا مش مفيد
بعد ثورة وبعد عيد فتنة تقتل حلم واتتحقق لنا
خلو حمامة السالم من الطيور املنقرضةعلشان تبقي القلوب مبتعدة منقسمه سهل تتسم
فكرين مناعة و قوة أم الدنيا بالطمع مرتبطةنسر املصريني ليس له دين احنا بنحميها بالدم
العنف بذوره بتكتر عاوز يوصل واحلروب حتصل
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
Our country needs us all together against the hard times
What difference does my religion make to you when your god is my god
Your origin is mine
Your land is my land
When they told me about sectarian strife I said thatrsquos wrong
Because itrsquos been planted in our country and behind it is some purpose
Makes one think somethingrsquos going on
By playing politics everythingrsquos gotten mixed up
The antidote has to be political just like the poison itself
The military doesnrsquot distinguish between cross and crescent
Wersquore all held together behind bars
The blood of the martyrs bears witness
To how much wersquove been broken by sectarianism
Through our unity we triumphed with one voice over injustice
And my religion is my own a rapport between me and God
Irsquoll raise my flag and my head up
Irsquom Egyptian
Hand in hand
We build Egypt up again
Egypt is angry at whatrsquos happening between us
Itrsquos not helpful
After the revolution after the victory
Sectarian strife is killing the dream we fulfilled
They drove the dove of peace to extinction
To keep hearts apart and divided itrsquos easy to poison them
Do they really think the resilience and strength of Egypt is connected to greed
The Egyptian eagle has no religion we protect it with our blood
The roots of violence are increasing want to gain control to start wars
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
8786
للعاقيدة يكسر وألعضاء املشاعر تتشال تصتأصلعلى كالم ربهم اتكبرو فعملو قدر واتقدر
وقته مستنينه ليه خططوا مضمون الرسائل اتغير الن الهدف هو تدمير قعدة الوحدهوقتل كل قائد يقود الناس بره احملنه
فيبقي سهل يزيحنا ميحي أوصول عليها كبرناوكل واحد علي حداه يقول أنا محدش يقول احنا
فاببطء بحرص بص بعقل بحذر شوفقبل ما يخلوا خيالك يتخلله اخلوف
واخلوف ده افراز بيطلع من غده ملا الكلب بيشوفهابيعرف انك فاريسه سهل ياكلها ركز
فرق تسد إخلعوفق جتد إرفع
ثورة تقدصمت يفرد- يفرق
ما بيجمع بيننامن حقي النقد من حقك - تسمع
طب إسمع وراجع ما صور التاريخ طب باله بيكفي صور زمانييوم حصار كنيسة املهد مني دافع مني اتقمع مني اتنفا
مسلم مسيحي أل كان فلسطيني اتذكر معي ثورة غضب يناير
اتذكر معي الوحدة اإليد الوحدة اتشرف انتا مصرياتذكر معي األخ بإيد األخ يحمي األخ بدون إلخ
كالمي ماشي ماشي ال-لتفهمني بهويتي مسلم وال نصراني قبطي
ما في حجة لربطي خلبطي حلطي ألوطي ألغير خطيخير أجناد األرض
من أرض بيت املقدس كل السالم بعد ما قلت إلنقسام في وطنيانا ملزم أقول ال لفتنة
تفتت مجد شعب تعب عانى ضحى بالغالي حتى بناه
A r a b i a n K n i g h t s + M C G a z a + A m e e r
The relationship between Egyptians breaks down and the organs that feel are taken out
They got full of themselves in the name of their god and invented a new fate for us
Theyrsquore waiting for a time and theyrsquore plotting The meaning of their messages changes
Because the goal is to destroy the foundation of unity
And kill every leader who takes the people out of hard times
Itrsquos easy to remove us to wipe out the traditions we grew up with
Everyone on his own everyone says ldquoIldquo and no one says ldquoweldquo
Slowly carefully look Wisely with caution see
Before they make your imagination a slave to fear
And that fear releases a secretion from a gland
And when the dog sees it he knows yoursquore easy prey
Divide yoursquoll conquer
Bring harmony and yoursquoll reap Start
A revolution and it will catch on
Silence is solitary It divides
It doesnrsquot bring us together
It is my right to criticize and your right to listen
So listen and look back at history or better look at my life time
The day the Nativity Church was under siege who was persecuted Who was exiled
A Muslim A Christian No he was Palestinian
Letrsquos remember the angry revolution of January
Letrsquos remember the unity the one hand Be proud yoursquore Egyptian
Remember the brother holding hands with a brother protecting a brother
And I can go on
Donrsquot teach me about my identity whether Irsquom a Muslim or a Christian Copt
Therersquos no excuse to tie me down beat me to make me cower and kneel and stray from my courseThe Earthrsquos most virtuous soldiers
Come from the land of Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem] I salute you After I said no to division in my countryIrsquom committed to saying no to seditionThat dissolves the glory of a people who labored suffered sacrificed what was most dear to build it
T r a n s l a t e d b y A l e x O r t i z + A h m e d S h a w k e t + K h a l e d A l H i l l i
Yasser Ameer Youssef Rush E Money amp MCGaza | by BOGEY
Single Hit track 11
20112011
Hip-Hop
24002867
eng - Hip-Hop 4 Life
eng - iTunNORM 000005E2 0000058E 0000424E 00003537 00026E95 0001C2B3 00008000 00008000 00005045 00005045
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
8988
الفن واملواهب زي حرب الكواكب الكل عايز يكون جنم صراع في الداخل
بهدي جنون العظمة بفلفل حر توابل تسيل دموع زي القنابل
زي مابتكلم وداني شغالة كون سامع نبض الشارع علشان أ
حالف أقضي على اإلعالم املتآمر مغامر في الكالم بس إنت مش سامع
ملا بأمسك القلم والورقة الهم بينزاح مخي بيرتاح بأقول اللي على البال
ملا بأقعد بحس بتأنيب ضمير كون في ستوديو بسجل على بيت خطير مفروض أ
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Art and talent are like Star Wars
Secretly everyone wants to be a star of conflict
I make megalomania tranquil with chilli hot spices
Tears flow like bombs
Thatrsquos how I talk and the world keeps moving
So that I can hear the pulse of the streets
Irsquove sworn to obliterate the media conspirators
I am adventurous in my speech but you do not hear
When I hold the pen and the paper my anxiety is lifted
My mind relaxes and I say whatrsquos on it
When I sit down I feel guilty
I should be in the studio recording dangerous beats
addictأدمان الشهرة ion to fame
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
9190
إحساس غريب إنك تدمن الكالم ارسم يا فنان واخترع زي دافينشي الرسام
ولو مفيش ورقة باستخدم تليفوني خايف إن فكرة متعديش على صوتي
دنيا غريبة يوم مر يوم بونبوني بس أنا عمري ماغيرت لوني
املوسيقى بنادولي وبطابعي فضولي مهما قالوا لي هافهمها مبفهومي فـساعات أالقي نفسي بكلم نفسي واسمع أصوات غريبة في دماغي
وهو ده الصدى الصوت اللي بسمعه اكن مفيش حد فارقة معاه احالمي
شوف شوف مش هدف إنو أنا شخصيا أنا
هدفي انه كلماتي وموسيقتي تنتشرعشان هيك حتشوفني دوما مستمر مستثمر
كل وقتي كل طاقتي على أصواتي خوذ شك خوذ حتويل خوذ كاش
بس ما تنساش أي شي بيتعلق بالواقع بدناش ما تخاف ألنها قضيتنا مش منسية مية باملية هايذي ثورة كمان ثقافية
خليني أوضح هاي املوسيقى مش معمولة للتلفازeهاي املوسيقى مش معمولة لهز الطياز l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
Strange feeling to be out of words
Paint oh artist and discover like Da Vinci the artist
If I donrsquot have paper I use my cell
I am afraid that the idea does not come through my voice
Strange world one day is bitter another like candy
But Irsquove never changed my color
Music is my Tylenol and my nature curious
So whatever they tell me Irsquoll understand it my way
Sometimes I find myself talking to myself
And I hear weird voices in my head
Which is just the echo of the sound I hear
As if no one cares about my dreams
See see
My goals are not self serving
My goal is that my words and music spread
Thatrsquos why yoursquoll see me always and continuously investing
All my time my energy on my sounds
Take a check take a transfer take cash
But never forget anything related to reality wersquore not interested
Donrsquot be afraid because our cause is not forgotten
One hundred percent this is also a cultural revolution
Let me explain this music is not meant to be televised
This music is not made for booty shaking
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
9392
مش فاهم ليش الكل قاتل حاله يكون في مسابقةحابني نتصابح حياكم زات املكافحة
واالعالم ميت ع حيالله قصة ما بيدرس هالقصة من نصها
وبعدن بينفخهامش احلق علينا اذا ما بيبحثوا
وملا يبدوا يحكوا عنا أل عنجد بيبعصوابيفكروا انه كل شي هشك بشك
بس حدن الزم يقلهم انه الهب هوب مش هيكبدك تدير بالك عشانها هاي اللحظة احلاسمة
ملا يجوا عليك الديب والعاصفةنكسر حدود وبنبني وحدة عشان نحيي مجتماعاتنا
وننهي معانتناعشان هيك منكتب كلمات صريحة والها معنى
مش للشهرة مش حتى يجي حدن يدفعلنا
e l D e e b + S t o r m t r a p
I donrsquot understand why everyone is killing themselves to be in the contest
Wersquod like to say goodmorning to salute you in this same struggle
The mediarsquos dying for any story
But they donrsquot study the storyrsquos real text
And then they blow it out of proportion
Itrsquos not our fault if they donrsquot search
And when they talk about us then they really screw it up
They think everything is empty pointless
Somebody needs to tell them that hip hop is not like that
You should take care because this is the critical moment
When the wolf and storm come haunting you
We break borders and we create a unity to revitalize our communities
And stop our suffering
That is why we write frank words that have meaning
Itrsquos not for fame or even so that someone pays us
T r a n s l a t e d b y N i z a r G h a n e m
Stormtrap amp Mohamed El Deeb
2011
Hip-Hop
15305855
- vocals Mohamed El Deeb Stormtrap13produced by Stormtrap
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
9594
حضل عهل مود يعنيما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب
بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلها
خللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
ما إنتلك متلي متلك مولع طيار ألفكاري من العقدي تنفك فرد قعدي بني 4 حيطان ما بتنهز و منها ما بنهز
يلز املا بينلزالكاس عل الطاولي و منو عم مز مز
لتفتل براصي وحس من حالي عم كز كزعل ورقة كالمي مدروس و ما بزت زت بجرب ما عيد حالي متا يقولو عم نق نق
موزع قافياتي جواز كأن عم فت فت
بهل األطشة خلي الديني اللي تسمعني ترن رنFبسبيلي جاري يوم ع يوم عم برك رك a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Didnrsquot I tell you Irsquom just like you I lit up a joint so my ideas would untie their knot
Sitting this way in between four walls I wonrsquot budge
The most delectable
Drink is on the table from which Irsquom taking sips
Till my head starts spinning and Irsquom sick of myself
On the paper my words are calculated I donrsquot just toss them about
I try not to repeat myself so they wonrsquot say Irsquom nagging
I deal my rhymes out like theyrsquore cards
In this verse Irsquoll make those ears ring
My fountain is running and every day I excel
tالنجوم عم تقرب he stars are gett ing closer
null
29781717
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
9796
لضل ماشي جالس بينما غيري عم بلك لك شريط معلق ريحة العة عم بتفح فحكل ما فتح متو بتالقي عم بكب كب
عايشها إرهاب و مفي إال بسب سببزبالتي ما بكبو تيكون بعلمك
األالف مسم و بحياتو ما بينسم بزقة من هل التم تخلي سقفك ينش نش
تلمو ردم و ما تفكر إنو ترد رد و عم بحكي عالواطي متا الصالي فيك ترج رج
بطبعي عاقل بس بالراب بزل زل عل الرايق بال ما نط وال فز فز
type of shitعال بارد أبرد من شباط بس يقز قزتخلي عضامك ع بعض تسك سك
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرب بهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
أنا متنبئ بنبه و بحقق ما قلتلك بعد وقتها ما عم نكت
عاملكرفون إبرة هرون عم بشكشك في شكcheck one two
هيك بدسدس عالنبض
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
So I can walk straight when others are still playing
A broken record that reeks of a musty smell
Every time he opens his mouth he spews them out
He lives in terror and all he does is curse
I wouldnrsquot throw him in my garbage just so you know
Irsquove irritated thousands and never been irritated in my life
One spit out of this mouth will make your roof leak
And yoursquoll pick up the rubble and donrsquot even think about answering back
Irsquom talking in a low voice so the hall wonrsquot shake with you in it
Irsquom reasonable by nature but when it comes to rap I humiliate cold-heartedly
Without jumping or leaping around
I do it coldly colder than icy February-type of shit
Irsquoll make your bones rattle against each other
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood until I touch these stars
Even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
Irsquom a psychic I predict and deliver
Didnrsquot I tell you to stand back when Irsquom not joking
Irsquom pricking the microphone with a heroin needle Is there any doubt
Check one two
Thatrsquos how I feel the pulse
null
29781717
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
9998
بدقق و زتزت حكي بتزجزج كأنها مزهزها عم بتشمشم عم خطط عم تكتيك و مني ملحلح من هون للساعة توقف تك تيك تك تيك
لك ليك منفخ حاله عامبيكازيب عا غيري بس بوجهي بتاءتإوجهه بيباءبإ من أد ما بعصب بسبسب
زر إنذار إذني بتطنطن و بشوف من عالباب عم بدقدق
عكروت بدو يفوت ليشوف الفن فني بس الفن هون بجسمي معبأ
من حلقي طايف و من متي عم بت شرشر و بيس البيس زلزال برجرج خليك تضبضب تنضب بالبيت لتكنكن
و أنا متأسف ألني بدي استأذن بس بعد شفت كابتشينو بتصحصح
ما إنتلك النجوم عم تقرببهل ال مود حكون عطول لبهل جنوم إدءر
لو مضطر شن هجوم عل النجوم كلهاخللي األرض تدور حول أصبعي تنلك
هيدا هب هوبمش هبل و ال بهل
هيدا زجل تتغزل في
ورايي إيقاع عليي إتبع و ما إطلع عنو يا بصير متل غير مسيس
زقفوا مع االيقاعزقفوا مع االيقاع
F a r e e q e l A t r a s h
Checking and hurling words that tickle as if I was high and sniffing
I am planning and scheming and Irsquom not going anywhere till the clock stops ticking
Look hersquos so full of it lying to others but in my face he stutters
And his face turns red from all the anger and he curses
My earsrsquo alarm bells start ringing
And I go to see whorsquos knocking at the door
Some bastard who wants to see where ldquothe artldquo is
But the art is right here packed in my body
Flowing from my throat running out of my mouth
And the bass is an earthquake that shakes and forces you to pack up and go home
And Irsquom sorry because I need to take leave
But after a sip of cappuccino yoursquoll come around
Didnrsquot I tell you The stars are getting closer
Irsquoll stay in this mood
Until I touch these stars even if I have to launch an attack on all the stars
Irsquoll make the Earth rotate around my finger I told you
This is hip hop
Itrsquos not stupid nor dumb
Itrsquos zajal [a form of Arabic poetry in the Levant]
That you flirt with
There is a beat that I have to follow canrsquot lose it or Irsquoll be like other MCs
Clap with the beat
Clap with the beat
T r a n s l a t e d b y K h a l e d A l H i l l i
null
29781717
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
101100
انا ببلعهم بتفهم وال مره بسبهمبخليهم داميا يضاربو بتفكيرهم
أنا وراهم قدامهم جنابهم محتلهممش طايقهم مرات وزنهم بكون منزلهم
مرتبهم صاففهم وبقلم أنا حاكمهم زاتتهم مش عاجبيني أنا ماحيهم قائدهم وبنفس الوقت أنا عبيدهم
وبفك وربط أنا بلعب مبعانيهمانا حاميهم بأسطر اللي تقويهم
انا واعدهم اني أستر على فاضحهم ومطلعهم بصوره اللي تبشعهم
بس أنا محترمهم وبسطور ساجنهم مكتفهم كأسير بجنازير القهر
ومهديهم بحبل اللي يبشر بالصبر وانا لي الفخر أكون الشوك اللي فيهم
Dوأكون القهر اللي داميا يسقيهم A M
Yo this is dedicated to the lyrics
Irsquom swallowing them spitting them never dissing them
Giving them freedom of speech
Irsquom behind them in front of them because of them always standing with them
Sometimes get sick of them sick of how you abuse them
Gather them in line with my pen I order them
Didnrsquot like it Throwing them out and replacing them
Irsquom their leader and also their slave
Small changes make huge differences
I train them in pages to make them strong
Promising to use them not abuse them
Or allow the wrong mouths to utter them
Approach them with a military mind and find peace in them
Irsquom lucky to be full of thorns and even luckier that I found the lyrics
So theyrsquoll help me find the roses in me
wordsكلمات
null
26837427
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
103102
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
انت بتعرف انهم مبنصب شهاد بحكو املاضي وتنبوا حاضر أي بالد
قد ماحكيت قد ما أحكي فش كالم يغطي بسفي كالم يربي وينمي انت بس أروي
في شوف انه قوه والقوه بتقويفيك و أن رويته مصيره يسقيك )مثل للقوه( العدو من أمامكم
والبحر من ورائكم فال تخيبوا أسيادكمفأين أشعاركم وأين مجادلتكم
فأنتم تسكتون وتخمدون أحالمكم)انهي( نهيت ورجعت للعامية بكلمات
مرمية طالعه من عقليه شعبيهمتل جنيب اللي بذاكرة كل واحد محفوظ مدروس واذا أل معناته في خلل معكوس
عاملجتمع اللي قمع كتاباته Dاللي سمح لنسيانه يشيل خطواته A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
You know lyrics are like a witness
They witnessed the past and forecast the future
As much as I said or say I canrsquot describe them
But there is a way to find the description and thatrsquos through them
Quench the thirst of the pages with them
So in the future itrsquoll quench your thirst
Keep feeding them as soon as they grow up
Theyrsquoll give you strength
ldquoExample for the strengthldquo
ldquoThe enemy is before you the sea is behind you
So donrsquot you dare disappoint our ancestors
Where are our deep poems Where are our strong statements
From generation to generation we kill our dreamsldquo
ldquoEnough philosophizingldquo ok lets get back to street talk
Words coming outta simple minds
Like Najeeb Mahfuz [literally lsquowell-rememberedrsquo also a famous author]
They keep living in our minds
And if you donrsquot know who he is - then I rest my case
null
26837427
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
105104
raquoالكل سمعك بس السؤال اذا اللي سمعك فهمكlaquoكلمات ليست كالكلمات بل raquoعالماتlaquo
اللي توجهنا وين مابدنا عحبال السيرك هي تثبتنا ريح العالم من كل جهه اذا احنا ضعاف بتوقعنا بس
raquoأل بلمره ألlaquo raquoكلمات عندي طنlaquoكل واحده الها هدف اخدت حرف عحرف
نسجت جمل اللي البسهم وقت البرد raquoراح اضلني اناديlaquo raquoبنحكي كلماتlaquo
ألف با كبايه أوعك تكسرهاامسكها للنهاية وكل ما تفضى مليها
كلمه أو رواية ومع املراحل زيدها شيحكاية وهيك ضلك زود فيها
وجيبها لتجمعاتك وساعتها استعملها لنقاشاتك وملواقفك استخدمها
هادي مدافعك اللي مداها بسيطرتك وما دافعك انه ما تخليها رايتك
ما هي تكتب ما هي توصف ما هي تكذب ما هي تنصف
ما هي هي الهروب هياللجوء هي الدروب هي
العبور باحلدود واللي مبرؤهم مبدع وبفوز باخللود واللي بسرقهم مش مقنع
واذا بتديهم احلرية بنادوك ممنوعDواذا بتوخد احلريه بنادوك مسموح A M
ldquoThey all hear you but few listen to youldquo
Lyrics ainrsquot just a bunch of words they are ldquosignsldquo
Leading us stabilizing us on tight ropes
Winds every way if we are thin we will fall
ldquoBut hell noldquo ldquoyou can measure my words in tonsldquo
Every word has a meaning I knitted a letter with another letter
Made warm sentences to wear in cold days
ldquoSo Irsquoll still shoutldquo ldquowe control lyricsldquo
The Arabic alphabet is like a glass donrsquot break it
Hold it tight and keep filling it
And then bring it to our arguments
Scream till your throat gets dry and then wet it
It holds our body itrsquos like our legs
If you stand for nothing yoursquoll fall for anything
The words write create
They kill lead and sometimes even lie
You can use them to build borders
And those who are gifted
Can use them to walk through borders
And in some governments
Itrsquos forbidden to give words freedom
But if you choke them and kill them
Thatrsquos allowed
F i g u r a t i v e t r a n s l a t i o n o f f e r e d b y t h e a r t i s t s
null
26837427
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
107106
further reading
The tracks presented in this document are not a comprehensive sampling of the genre of the market of hip hop in Arabic or of hip hop and rap in the wider Middle East
Artists featured here hail from Egypt Lebanon Palestine and the anglophone Arab diaspora The thriving North African hip hop scene is not represented nor is the work of the established francophone Arab diaspora nor the expanding hip hop scenes of especially Iran or Turkey
This collection does not attempt a comprehensive chronology Tracks featured here are not primarily new releases (though some are) neither are they all ldquoclassicsrdquo These limitations of scope are important to note
Many tracks of the popular Libyan group Ibn Thabitt and other groups from across the region have been translated and are hosted with commentary on the notable blog
revolutionaryarabrapblogspotcom
Another valuable resource is the Beirut-based blog by Jackson Allers ldquoBeats and Breathrdquo which features articulate critiques and reviews of events and releases from the region
jacksonallerswordpresscom
Hass Dennaoui (alias Big Hass) who recently launched started the first all hip-hop FM radio show in Saudi Arabia Laish Hip Hop (Why Hip Hop) manages a lively blog which
hosts an internet feed of his radio show and interviews with MCs and influential hip hop figures from around the world
revoltradioblogspotcom
Lebaneseundergroundcom hosts coverage of underground music in Lebanon including hip hop
And finally an excellent article by Hishaam Aidi on implications of the use of hip hop as foreign policy ldquoThe Grand (Hip-Hop) Chessboard Race Rap and Raison DrsquoEtatrdquo was published in The Middle East Report Fall 2011 Excerpts of the piece were published by Al Jazeera English in the article ldquoLeveraging Hip Hop in US Foreign Policyrdquo
All the artists and many of the translators whose work is showcased here host a significant online presence Their sites are listed with more about each of them on the following pages
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
109108
artist bios
ARABIAN KNIGHTZ the premier hip hop group from the land of the Nile River have not only established themselves as the lyricists with the sharpest swords in their land but they have also created the most consistent voice for rebellion strength and hope for the youth of the Middle East During the 2011 Revolution Arabian Knightz released two singles ldquoRebelrdquo and ldquoNot Your Prisonerrdquo anthems of resistance which gained worldwide attention and major media coverage for their powerful lyrics against a wicked system The group formed in 2006 through the cipher hip hoprsquos natural way of choosing like mindsets on the mic Rush Sphinx and E-Money were ahead of their peers adapting an authentic Arab perspective to the art dominated by Western voices mixing English and Arabic raps After hitting the studio for successful underground tracks AK enlisted super-producer Fredwreck (Snoop Dogg Xzibit Tha Dogg Pound) ldquoFokkakrdquo the single from this studio session was an instant hit and (surprisingly for Arabic Hip Hop) projected them to the top ten of the singles charts Arab League Records was formed amidst a growing fanbase and numerous collaborations with other Arab hip hop artists the first international Arab hip hop record label Desert Saga Volume 1 mixtape was the debut release led by ldquoThe Onerdquo featuring Egyptrsquos MC Amin Arabian Knightz have recorded their debut album Uknighted State of Arabia a masterpiece for Arab hip hop years in the making featuring instrumentals dominated by traditional percussions and players are scheduled for a Winter 2012 Release They are on Facebook
BOIKUTT is a musician and MC based in Ramallah Palestine Creating sounds using sampled material field recordings and electronic devices the results range between hip-hop downtempo ambient glitch and experimental He has composed and produced music for artists such as Kronos Quartet Bukue One Spiritchild Tamer Abu-Ghazaleh Bleubird and others and has appeared as an MC on albums for artists such as Slovo Heliodrome Bonnot and Lethal Skillz A co-founder of the Ramallah Underground Collective which has toured across the Arab World Europe and Australia Boikutt is also co-founder and member of audio-visual group Tashweesh with whom he is currently touring Also as a solo performer he has been in Beirut Cairo Manila Copenhagen London Hamburg Dubai Bethlehem and other cities He has produced and exhibited a few sound-art pieces composed several film scores has most recently composed the music for a dance theater performance entitled Bound by
New York-based company Yaa Samar Dance Theatre and is now working on different collaborative and solo projects His work may be heard at soundcloudcomboikutt and on Facebook
DAM Da Arabian MCrsquos are Suhell Nafar Tamer Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri The first Palestinian hip hop crew and among the first to rap in Arabic the group began working together in the late 1990s Struck by the uncanny resemblance of the reality of the streets in a Tupac video to the streets in their own neighborhood of Lyd they were inspired to tell their stories through hip hop Their timely song ldquoMin Irhabirdquo (ldquoWhorsquos the Terroristrdquo) was downloaded a million times shortly after its internet realese in 2001 and DAM became a household name among youth throughout the Middle East Ten years of performing all over the world has strengthened the grouprsquos commitment to continue living and working in their hometown of Lyd 15 minutes from Tel Aviv and working to provide the youth of the city and neighboring communities with programs and opportunities that have been denied to Palestinian citizens of Israel Their music is a unique fusion of East and West and encompasses influences as varied as Ghassan Kanafani Ahlam Mosteghanemi Mahmoud Darwish Naji al Ali Tupac Biggie Public Enemy MBS Krsquonaan and Pharoahe Monch IHDA (Dedication) DAMrsquos long-awaited first international album was released in 2007 and DAM has seen its songs and members featured in films such as Ford Transit (Dir Hany Abu Assad) Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden (Dir Morgan Spurlock) Salt of this Sea (Dir Annemarie Jacir) Local Angel and Forgiveness (Dir Udi Aloni) DAMrsquos history and influence on the Arab hip hop scene is detailed in the feature-length documentary Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir Jackie Reem Salloum) The group has also been featured in Vibe National Geographic Rolling Stone Q Basement Reuters and The New York Times and has appeared on MTV CNN BBC and Al Jazeera Their work can be heard and explored at damrapcom
EL DEEB first ventured into Egyptian Hip Hop when he joined Asfalt in 2005 He left in 2007 to create Wighit Nazara duo represented by Mohamed Yasser and himself It was a successful musical project that lasted until mid 2010 Currently he is working on his solo career with plans to release an EP every couple of months or so Cairofornia is his first solo EP His work may be heard at deebbandcampcom and on Facebook
EL RASS was born in Tripoli Lebanon He started writing poetry in literary Arabic at age 11 and started rhyming in spoken Lebanese dialect in 1999 at age 15 At that time he formed one third of a group of 3 MCrsquos going under the name of ldquoMlouk el Micrdquo (ldquoKings of the Micrdquo) They recorded one album and performed locally At 17 he left for France to study Finance and Economics Studies were hard money was scarce and exile was tough but music and poetry never left him as he continued rhyming with some underground French MCrsquos like Medline and Moebius and developed new musical skills on percussion in classical Arabic singing and baglama (turkish buzuk) After graduating and working for almost two years in the hell of banking and market finance El Rass decided to return to Lebanon He spent a year just re-discovering Beirut and making and learning music He now works as a journalist at the newspaper Assafir while concurrently pursuing joint projects with other producers and musicians He calls his work Taalik in reference to the same word in Arabic for ldquocommentrdquo and another word that comes from the same semantic root moaallakat which is a corpus of selected pre-Islamic poetry that was written with gold ink on the walls of the Karsquoaba in Mecca His work may be heard at soundcloudcomElRass
FAREEQ EL ATRASH is a hip hop band based out of Hamra St Beirut with a sound that is distinguished by laid back topical flows over live instrumentation It consists of Edd (raps) Nasser (raps) FZ (vocal production and FX) Fouad Afra (drums) Goo (plays guitar keys heart strings) and Abed Kobeissy (plays bass and buzuk) Their 2010 album and 2009 prealbum are available online More of their work may be found on Facebook Eddrsquos solo work can also be heard at soundcloudcomEdd
H2Z was born in Kuwait in 1986 where he lived for four years Due to the gulf war his family moved to Lebanon where he lived for the most part of his life Inspired by the tragic events in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world H2Z adopted rap music as a way to raise awareness about the injustices suffered by his people and to deliver a message through his music to anyone who supports the Palestinian cause His career began in 2004 when he was introduced to the production business by fellow rappers and soon he started producing his own tracks and established a local band producing many tracks for himself and other musicians in Lebanon In 2008 he released his first solo album titled 3aed which contained
17 tracks The political influence was noticed throughout the album and was generally well-received He is now studying for a degree in business administration at Wayne State University in Michigan His work may be heard at reverbnationcomh2z
KATIBEH 5 are based in Borj el Barajneh Lebanon Their work can be found at reverbnationcomkatibeh5 and myspacecomkatibe5palestine and on Facebook
M1 is Mutulu Olugbala of the New York based collective Dead Prez whose work is online at deadprezcom M1 is also on Facebook
MC GAZA is Adnan Mahmoud Ghonim an Algerian born artist and university student based in Gaza It was the beginning of 2005 when he attended one of the hip hop concerts in Gaza City ndash Gaza City that never appreciated the art he loved and attached himself to ndash and it was love at first sight between them Through some of the concerts he participated in a number of songs he collaborated on with Arabs from Egypt Algeria and Palestine and some active participation to represent the Palestinian people and interviews for both Arab and foreign press he was able to make a name for himself in the Gazan hip hop community His work may be found at youtubecomMCGaza and on Facebook
THE NARCICYST Having pioneered the Arab Hip-Hop movement with seminal Iraqi-Canadian crew Euphrates The Narcicyst recently broke through borders and shattered traveling etiquette touring solo around the world sharing stages with the likes of Brother Ali Mos Def and Kanye West to name a few On top of music The Narcicyst is a celebrated theorist whose academic work Fear of an Arab Planet has him from the stage to the classrooms of internationally renowned universities He is now also a professor at Concordia University teaching a Fine Arts course ldquoHip-Hop Past Present and Futurerdquo His writings have been published by multiple university presses and magazines internationally he is also a self-published author having recently released the biographical and social-study on the Arab world The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe As a true artist interested in really pushing his own artistic boundaries The Narcicyst has stepped into acting currently starring in the short music film PHATWA and in the first internationally-released film from the United Arab Emirates called City of Life A true multi-media
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
111110
KHALED AL HILLI is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature at the Graduate Center City University of New York He has a BA in English Literature and a Masterrsquos degree in Teaching Second Languages Born in Iraq Khaled has taught in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia at both college and high school levels He has also worked with various Iraqi news outlets and has subtitledtranslated documentary films dealing with current social and political issues His research interests include Arabic political literature prison literature and literature in the diaspora He may be reached at hillykhalidgmailcom
+AZIZ is a NYC-based marketing consultant and a musician He is working through The World Music Parade to develop an animation project based on his music More about that project can be found at themusicparadetumblrcom He tweets from plusaziz
FAYSAL BIBI is a paleontologist and electronic musician currently based in Berlin
LOUBNA BILALI is originally from Morocco She did her undergrad and first MA in English Linguistics at Chouaib Doukkali University El Jadida She came to the US in 2008 to pursue a Masterrsquos degree in French to English translation and is currently working on a PhD in translation studies at Kent State University in Ohio She is very interested in learning and teaching languages as well as translating and localizing computer applications and websites She may be reached at loubnabilaligmailcom
FARAH ELREWAISSATI is a freelance translator pro-Palestine activist and BDS advocate who blogs at youthanormalizationblogspotcom She tweets from 3beee
NIZAR GHANEM was born in Lebanon He has been active in intercultural education interactive learning and conflict resolution across the Arab world His work on conflict resolution involved using theater comics and music as tools for emotional expression and social mobilization
RIMA NAJDI is a Performing Artist She studied dramatic arts at the Lebanese University in Beirut and obtained a Masterrsquos degree in Performance Studies at NYU New York She has written and performed in various plays and performances Najdi is particularly interested in multi-media performing arts and the position of the spectators
BARRAK ALZAID (copy editor) is the Artistic Director of ArteEast He is the editor of the ArteEast Quarterly a dynamic online portal featuring four publications that highlight contemporary art and culture from the Middle East and diaspora ndash ArtersquoZine Shahadat (contemporary short-form literature) Gallery and Cinematek (an online film center) He is also the curator for ArteEastrsquos Across Histories Art Talk Series featuring a series of panels on residencies in Fall 2011 He tweets from barrakster
RAYYA EL ZEIN (editor) is working towards a PhD in Theatre at the Graduate Center City University of New York Her research is increasingly focusing on theories of reception historical studies of audience behavior and popular culture in the Arab world She holds an MA in Performance Studies from NYU and is currently a teaching fellow at City College in Harlem She tweets from rayelz
translator biosdreamer Yassin recently established an arts label in the UAE called The Medium focusing on delivering art from Arabs in the diaspora and at lsquohomersquo to the rest of the world iraqisthebombcom He tweets from TheNarcicyst
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Syrian-American hip hop artist born in Saudi Arabia raised in Washington DC and living in Los Angeles Known for taking audiences on a lyrical journey from the jasmine-tree-lined courtyards of Nizar Qabbanirsquos Damascene homes to the flooded riverbanks of Langston Hughesrsquo Harlem Renaissance poems - Offendum has been featured on several major news outlets (BBC Yahoo ABC News Aljazeera PBS) toured the world to promote his ground-breaking music helped raise thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organizations (PCRF KinderUSA ANERA Islamic Relief) lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions (Harvard MIT Stanford Columbia American University of Beirut NYU-AbuDhabi Qatar Education City) and most recently been involved in creating several critically-acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East amp North Africa He is currently hard at work promoting his solo release - affectionately dubbed SyrianamericanA His work may be heard (and read) at offendumbandcampcom He is on Facebook and he tweets from Offendum
RAMALLAH UNDERGROUND based in Ramallah Palestine was born from the immediacy of musical experimentation and out of the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs facing a turbulent and uncertain political landscape The collective was founded by artists Boikutt Stormtrap and Aswatt and has always held a commitment to both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture To this end they combine music ranging from Arabic electronic music hip-hop and trip hop to downtempo with a deep sense of their local culture and the imposing presence of Palestine in their lives The outcome is a new specific and distinct sound RU (as producers and as MCrsquos ) has collaborated with numerous artists across the globe including countries like Lebanon UK Switzerland Italy USA France and many more including a collaboration with Slovo (a band headed by the guitarist from faithless) in their track ldquoNakbardquo which appears on their album Todo Cambia and with Kronos Quartet in the track ldquoTashweeshrdquo which appears on Floodplain RU has also performed live shows in Ramallah Bethlehem Vienna London Cairo Lausanne Amsterdam and Washington DC Their shows are mainly a performance of their hip-hop tracks as well as a few of their own electronic productions as a warm up More recently RU has incorporated a visual set in their live
performances brought to you by Palestinian visual artist Ruanne RU hopes to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world Their lyrics and music are an expression of anguish and defiance ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer They continue to play a big role in the Arab underground cultural scene while slowly gaining wide global and local popularity
SHADIA MANSOURrsquos work can be found at myspacecomshadiamusic and on Facebook
STORMTRAP is a music producercomposerMC from Palestine Experimenting with old samples instruments and field recordings his sound is the result of a fusion of ambient atmospheres combined with various noises and hip hop beats His lyrics deal with different themes inspired mainly by his personal experiences in Palestine and life in the diaspora Stormtrap played a fundamental role in forming the band Ramallah Underground with which he has performed worldwide the past few years Currently he is working in Vienna with Aras Seyhan and Eren Ileri on a new album which combines live instruments synthesizers turntables beats and Arabic lyrics- which will be released early 2012 His work may be heard at soundcloudcomstormtrap He tweets from asifeh
AMEER YOSSEF 25 has sung and writen music with the band Klaket for the past four years His work may be heard at youtubecomAmeer and on Facebook
towards the work Her work for now concentrates on the process of making interactive and participatory performances that question borders stereotypes and languages
MOE ALI NAYEL is a fixer and a journalist based in Beirut Lebanon He uses social media blogging non-mainstream music journalism and writing as a word spreading eye opening socializing arena He uses social media as a bridge that cuts distance between people on this planet making it a tiny village This bridge starts in his office and takes him to every corner in the world enabling him to connect and network with people and cultures sharing and exchanging stories of the unheard and the neglected He blogs at Words of Action and he tweets from MoeAliNay
ALEX ORTIZ is a video and radio journalist and translator based in Cairo Egypt He graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a double major in Comparative Literature and Middle East Studies He was a CASA I fellow from 2009-2010 and a CASA II fellow from 2010-2011 He currently works for CBS News as a field producer He tweets from cairowitness
AHMED SHAWKET is an independent translator living in Cairo Egypt He is a graduate of the Helwan University Faculty of Arts where he majored in philosophy Ahmed works on literary media and commercial translation
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
113112
ABOUT SHAHADATShahadat is a quarterly online series designed to provide a platform for short-form writing and experimentation in writing by young and underexposed writers from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) The series features stories vignettes reflections and chronicles in translation and the original language of Arabic Farsi Turkish or Kurdish It makes up one quarter of ArteEastrsquos online programming the AE Quarterly For past issues of Shahadat click here
ABOUT THIS SERIES Shahadat is proud to run two alternating series and releases two issues a year of each The issue yoursquove just perused is part of the ldquoExploring Popular Literaturerdquo series This series challenges traditional understandings of ldquoliteraturerdquo emerging from the Middle East and North Africa by presenting genres of creative production that rely on words and language but which have not typically been studied as literature Works are presented in their original language and in translation
In each issue we gather texts from a spectrum of writers to challenge the singular status of the artistauthor and to encourage a more complex presentation of the Middle Eastern and North African ldquostreetrdquo for English-speaking audiences Shahadatrsquos other series ldquoContemporary Literature in Translationrdquo features the work of a single young author in the original language and in English translation
BEHIND THE DOCUMENTShahadat is co-edited by Rayya El Zein Alex Ortiz and ArteEastrsquos Artistic Director Barrak Alzaid All three are young professionals and scholars with artistic inclinations (literature poetry translation and performance) All three have strong connections to New York City and various metropole of the MENA region Shahadat is for us an experiment and a labor of love An editorial board of established scholars and authors is currently being conceived
SPECIAL THANKS TOAnmar El ZeinKinda AkashAndrew JohnstonLivia Alexander
Shahadat logo design by Rima Farouki
114
114