This is a late post. We watched a film, Tuesday about hip hop in Palestine: "Slingshot Hip Hop," directed by Jackie Salloum Palestine/2008/89 mins.
It screens as a part of the Arab Film Festival, Saturday, October 24-25, 7 p.m. at Shattuck Cinemas, in Berkeley. Visit www.aff.org for a link to the film website.
Students were to look at the film and respond to the following questions:
1. Analyze Hip Hop Palestine via the artists profiled in the film: Slingshot Hip Hop directed by Jackie Salloum.
2. Look at way hip hop was used to address social issues. What is the historic context? Who are the artists?
3. How has American hip hop aesthetics influenced Palestinian artists? How are they different?
4. Where do traditional Arab culture and hip hop meet?
5. Talk about women in hip hop in Palestine or Arab culture.
6. Is religion an aspect of Palestinian rap culture per the artists profiled? How so?
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I found the film on Palestinan Hip-Hop very intersting. Hip-hop was used to adress the opinions of the people living in places like Gaza. They talked about their cultural history about how Isralians came and pushed the Palestines into a confined area. There doesnt seem to be very many jobs or things for people to do in Gaza, so some people, like the main characters, make music for a living.
I noticed that the more powerful underground American Hip-hop artists influenced these artists. They listened to some such as Tupac, MosDef, and Atmosphere. I think they might have listened to these people and seen how they had made a difference, and thought that they could do the same. I don’t know much about the Arab culture, but what I’ve seen from the video, it seems that they are pretty laid back. I’m only saying this because I was surprised about how the artists parents reacted when asked about what they thought about their sons making music all of the time.
Women in the Arab culture seem to be more restricted. I thought that the lady singer should have gone on stage and performed, but then I realized that some people actually could have been serious about hurting their family and friends. I realized that they would not be protected, like someone might be protected here in the United States.
All in all I thought it was a powerful and moving independent film, and I actually learned a lot.
Deon Johnson
English1B: Tuesday/Thursday
Slingshot Hip Hop
Slingshot Hip Hop directed by Jackie Salloum was an eye-opener into the Arab, Palestine Hip Hop movement. Even though I though the movie was far too long, it was enlighten and entertaining. I thought it was engrossing to hear that they had to wait so long to go into another city of there, with the possible that they might get turned away. As a Hip Hop activist and a person whose all about freedom of speech and pro choice, I felt impudent when one of the group member was arrest and sentence after being caught and capture for being in another part of his city.
Hip Hop was used to address social issues through song. They rap and even sung about what was going on in their country. I’m not sure what it means by, historic context, but it was historic, to me, because that’s how Hip Hop started; rappers rapping about what their community was tackling. There were varies of artist, including: DAM, MWR, PR, Tamar, and a few more.
American Hip Hop aesthetic influences Palestinian artist by the feeling. Palestinian was hearing Americans artist pain through their song, and they felt it, they knew it was real, they could relate and they wanted to share their views on it. They, different artist from Palestinian, could relate to the poverty, the justice system and the fact that it’s so hard to, do or express themselves through Hip Hop music. I don’t feel there was or have any right to say that there were differences. As Russell Simons once said, it’s all a struggle, and no one’s struggle is harder than the other. And to me, that’s Hip Hop.
I think, I like I stated previously, that Hip Hop and Arab culture connect through the syncopation. For instance, most of these artist come from the public squalor, and Hip Hop is, or started off, about the less fortunate getting their voices heard. Also I notice that in the Arab culture they don’t like females to be seen in the Hip Hop “spotlight,” and in America it’s very few beneficial female artists.
Hip Hop in Palestine culture is interesting, it seem like it’s dangerous for female MC’s, who represent Hip Hop. Even though it’s not dangerous, per say, for female MC’s in America, it’s not a lot of them, they’re not profitable and it’s ten times harder for them to get their start than male MC’s.
I don’t think religion had an impact or aspect on rap culture in Palestinian, but I do think the laws did.
The history of the Palestinian's is quite the interesting one. Aside from being regulated and pushed into unwanted territory, the palestinians had to live in harsh conditions in order to survive. An example of many places that palestinian's gathered was Gaza. This place swarmed with poverty, not much currency flow, no jobs, no nothing. However, there were palestinian artists who decided to create their own future by embracing the art of hip hop music.
As like other countries, American Hip-Hop is a heavy influence on Palestinian Hip Hop. Big names such as Tupac were definately role models for rising or aspiring artists. I think that the purpose of hip hop for the palestinian's is the purpose to communicate and to oppose the israelis. Just like how other countries did it in the beginning, it was used for centuries as a way of combat, verbally. The palestinian culture is definately different than american culture. Arab culture is more loose for ideas and is like a big community with no real dictator. You can tell from the expression of the families that they are more supportive of things that happen around them. When they were interviewed on their thoughts of what they thought of rap/hip hop.
There seems to be sexism still in the middle eastern culture. However, it cannot be for certain that it was due to gender. While the chances are it is, it is out of fear that female artists did not represent themselves the same way. In the middle east, the protection for citizen's or even just people are alot less structured then America. Thus you give one thing you get one thing.
After watching this film, i realized that many other countries including this one start off the same. Due to the influence of American Culture, hip hop is adopted with strong verbal rules. I think after looking at these many countries and their history of hip hop, it is safe to say that the majority of hip hop identities in other countries are quite similar.
Kimberly Peterson
10/21/2008
English 1B
Isreal had many views, people are living like stranger in their own countrie. Tupac had a big infulence. Some of the kids, learned English just so they could translate some of the lyrics. Palestinians Vs. Isralies. HATE. They are artists, they do not have day jobs. (Some artists in America have both!) First rap came out, then hip hop. Politics is in their songs. There is a War all around them. It is constant. DAM, MWR? Traditional music style is very different, yet beauitful. Refugees, the symbol of the key is to bring them back. Rap reflects the painful realitity of their lives. There are many different artists. Music goes around the world again, and Americans will learn their music just like they learn ours.
There has been checkpoints, even from 1948. Demoralized from not having any freedom at all. Refugee camps are tiny. Unfair prison systems, no trails!! Unjust! Put in prison for SELF EXPRESSION!!!!!!! There are even female rappers... Gaza... Hip hop started in palastine/isreal in 2000. Cant get over checkpoint, even with a permit!! "OUR LAND".. But its really not, at all. They want peace! Fight the power!!
This film gave me many images, and ideas. I think there is so much unjustice in isreal right now, it is ridiculos. I never even knew how much that country has been suffering. I thought that I had it bad, I don't have it bad at all in comparison to others. Hip hop is used as an outlet all around the world. It is a political type of musical/aesthic. I never understood it so well untill now. There is hip hop and then their is money music. Money music is rap, the mainstreem music that you often hear on the radio.
Women are very oppressed in Isreal. They are not, to an extreme, but they are valued in the family and they are meant for them to be kept safe. One of the young women wanted to go to perform, and she was not allowed because her family got threatened. Insane.
Faraj Fayad
English 1B
* Ever since the end of World War two, 1994, Jewish refugees moved into the Middle
East from Europe and began taking over Palestinian land. Years passed and most of Palestine turned into Israel. Palestinians either scattered into near countries or were put in
segregated camps in small cities.
Slingshot Hiphop, directed by Jackie Salloum, is an engaging film about hiphop in Palestine.
Hiphop started in Palestine at around the year 2000. Inspired by the concious words of many
American artists, Palesinian rappers began making hiphop to adress the issues going on
between Palestine and Israel.
Palestinian writers adress social issues using a mixture of painful memories, courage, and truth
of history. The context in palistinian hiphop rhymes is mainly about the racism shown towards Palestinians by Jewish citizens. The rappers from the group DAM, Suhel Nafer, Mahmoud
Jalbi, Kan'aan and many more are artistst are known as "PR" (Palestinian Rappers).
In the film, one of the Palestinian rappers shows some of the American hiphop artists they listen to. Artists like Public Enemy, Biggie Smalls, Mos Def, Common Sense, Immortal Technique
and many more were in his collection. One artist I noticed had a big effect on the PR was
Tupac Shakur. Palestinian rappers seen that the same killings going on in 2pacs videos where going on in their neighborhoods as well. The only thing different about the American hiphop culture and the Palestinian hiphop culture are that one is spoken in English and the other in
Arabic.
The traditional Arab culture doesn't have much connection to hiphop. Never the less, the position Palestinians are living in and the fear and poverty they go through daily meets at every angle of hiphop's asspects.
The group DAM has two female rappers, who are very talented. One was a rapper and the other a singer. There wasn't any sexism in Slingshot, instead the male rappers were happy they found female artists. Even though there are hiphop fans in palestin, hiphop isn't really recognized.
Religion does have a big effect on the palestinian rap culture because of the war going on. The
Palestinian Rappers in Slingshot are aiming to get the attention of palesinian and Israeli residents to create peace between both races, so religion doesn't really get involved with their music.
Hip Hop in Palestine proved as a powerful movement that lifted many young spirits up to go through everything that they were experiencing in Palestine. There artists, are young Palestinian teens that are frustrated with what is surrounding them and their families in their own countries. Shouting meaningful lyrics, spitting out enraged beats in order to get a message across can strengthen any heart.
America has influenced Palestinian hip hop by bringing in their trends and styles. What the Palestinians choose to differ is their lyrical content. While many Americans are rapping about sex and women, the Palestinians are rapping about issues that they have to face every day. Arab culture and hip hop meets at the line where hip hop allows itself to be used in order to portray a message. Arab culture also appreciates music and knows how to use it.
In Arab culture, women are supposed to be quiet, only knowing how to tend to the housework and basically nothing else. Therefore, a girl singing and rapping hip hop is out of the question ad is disapproved by many parents.
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