I Love Hip Hop--Diplomacy

I recently saw the West Coast premiere of 'I Love Hip Hop in Morocco' and spoke with the filmaker, Josh Asen. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to conduct reseasrch in Morocco and while he was working on his research, decided to film some of the local hip hop groups (Fnaire, Brownfingaz, H-Kayne, Fati Show, Pat de Mosse) and their efforts to organize a Hip Hop Festival in three different Moroccan cities. Money issues were one of the main concerns, but Coke and the American Embassy stepped up to help fund the efforts. The festival was a success and the shows were a great way to get the voices of some Arab youth heard.


Rap and Hip Hop is, at its very core, a method of resistance to oppression, real or perceived. Aside from the fact that much of the American hip hop today has morphed into a money, chicks, drugs, cars, bling and whatever else--hip hop used to be a way to express grievances within a different public space and create a dialogue from those who couldn't necessarily find an accepting public space to voice it from. If you look at other Arab hip hop groups, primarily the Palestinian ones (The Philistines, DAM, Ragtop etc) you'll see the lyrics centered around political resistance and actively pushing a dialogue for recognition of social, economic and political grievances. Jackie Salloum, another Arab filmaker, is working on a similar project to 'I Love Hip Hop in Morocco' called 'Sling Shot Hip Hop'. Although it's been in Post-production for what seems like forever, it promises to be a powerful documentary on Hip Hop in Palestine and Israel.


Hip Hop Diplomacy needs a serious look by Cultural Diplomacy advocates--it's a positive way to reach Arab youth and recognize their voices and resistance through music.