The first installment in VICE’s Noisey Israeli Palestine: Hip Hop in the Holy Land follows Tamer Nafar, the “godfather of Palestinian rap,” as he discusses what it means to speak about the experience of his people as they live in a system where they do not politically “exist.” Nafar is a co-founder of DAM (Da Arabian MCs), the first Palestinian rap group to break through and gain attention on an international level. In the episode, Nafar talks about the politics behind his lyrics, and goes into his methodology as he developed Arabic lyrics while extrapolating from English-language influences, working to make the rhythms and metaphors flow organically, molding a sound of his own so the finished songs wouldn’t sound like subtitled english tracks. Co-directed and hosted by Mike Skinner of The Streets, the series aims to “take the temperature” of the Palestinian and Israeli rap scenes. Read more and watch the episode via Noisey, and catch the video for DAM’s song “Born Here,” featured on the episode, after the jump.
https://youtu.be/zIo6lyP9tTE&w=580
