In 2004, when Goldie Lookin' Chain sang the words Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do, his sarcasm was probably taken as a gospel by a generation of people who still demonise hip-hop.
For years rap and hip-hop music has conjured images of bling bling-draped gangsters cruising the streets in pimped-up cars looking for someone to gun down on the sidewalk.
But take rap music back to its roots, long before the days of the now correctly or incorrectly-judged shootings, gang wars and bloodshed, and it was only ever about a voice — the voice of disgruntled youth, volatile communities and poverty-stricken families and often an outlet for political opinion.
Once the voice of US youth, hip-hop has now found a unique niche in the Arab world. And one thing is certain, it's here to stay.
Emirati rapper opening for Snoop Dog:
The eve of Snoop Dogg's debut performance in Abu Dhabi, seemed perfect timing for tabloid! to open a forum on everything rap and hip-hop, including the views of the man himself, while local bands, artists, DJs and even a professor of hip-hop from the US (yes, they exist) all had their say.
While I'd love to start at the very beginning with the obvious history of hip-hop and the wise words of our scholar, I just couldn't resist a line from Snoop for no reason other than, well, only he can really put it like this.
"I'm Snooperman," he said by e-mail when asked how he stays so grounded. "I go in tha booth and get it done. No ifs, ands or buts. Imma get it done and you gonna want more. That's tha formula for success." Boom. It just had to be done.
And now over to Professor James Braxton Peterson, Ph.D, Associate Professor of English, Bucknell University, US, and a renowned expert in hip-hop culture who says it's not easy to explain why the genre has had such a massive, and global, impact in a relatively short span of time but its influence can't be denied.
Culture
"In the last 30 years, hip-hop culture has developed from a relatively unknown and largely ignored inner city culture into a global phenomenon. The foundation of hip-hop culture — DJing, MCing, breakdance, and graffiti — are manifest in youth culture across the globe. Considering its humble beginnings in the South and West Bronx, the global development of hip-hop is an amazing cultural feat. Yet its global popularity suggests and reflects its culturally diverse origins... hip-hop is one of the most difficult cultural phenomena to define."
Since the '90s Arab hip-hop has flourished, being much used by young people to express their views on politics and society — as seen to huge effect during the recent uprisings in the Arab world.
"For decades now, hip-hop culture has been a platform for oppressed and dispossessed folk," continues Peterson. "There are many in the Arab world who can identify with the predicament of black and brown folk in the US who experience poverty, violence, and social invisibility."
It's no surprise young Arabs, especially those in the UAE, are using hip- hop to express themselves as so many are already influenced by American pop culture.
Most interestingly, local artists appear to be taking the basics from the Western genre but creating their own take to tell their tales — but with the same general aim: to shine a light on issues.
Yassin Al Salman, or The Narcicyst, describes himself as a "28-year-old Iraqi-Canadian Arabian Psycho". The UAE-based artist, who also appeared in the Dubai-set film City of Life, believes hip-hop is a "hybrid culture born out of a need for representation and place within social hierarchies of injustice and prejudice".
"It's a medium that reinforces a culture," he continues. "When it reached the platform of mainstream America, it shed light on areas that were not known or undiscovered and brought them to the living rooms of suburbia. It's a medium that is uncontrollable. We can create it in an instant and disseminate it all over the internet. Its accessibility permits it to be such a bridge builder."
Snoop agrees when it comes to hip-hop building bridges across cultures.
"Look at me for example," said Snoop. "I'm from Long Beach CA and I'm about to do a show in Abu Dhabi. If that ain't a prime example of bridging cultures than I don't know what it is. We gettin money over here and hopefully this is one of many future times to come."
New language
Hip-hop has often been associated with offensive lyrics, something which Peterson says takes away from the message and is why it's so misunderstood.
"The mainstream media have co-opted the popular forms of rap music and tend to promote the music that is most violent, consumeristic, and misogynistic. Many listeners of the music — some older folk but also some young folk too —do not understand hip-hop's history or the very significant fact that the music's most substantive, socially engaged examples are found ‘underground' and overseas."
For the UAE's rappers, the omission of bad language is one of the ways they are taking ownership of the genre.
Desert Heat (brothers Salim and Abdullah Dahman, or Illmiyah and Arableak on stage) paved the way for curse-free local hip-hop in 2002, performing for MTV Arabia in 2007 with artists including Akon and Karl Wolf.
"Our music has zero profanity," says Salim. "We dress in our traditional clothes when we perform sometimes and our topics touch on real themes, not imaginary gang and drug culture that does not define who we are as people from this region. Good music with positive and truthful topics will automatically change people with the wrong perception of what hip-hop is."
Aspiring rapper Khalifa Al Rumaithi agrees. "Hip-hop itself is a culture, and it almost covered the whole globe with its messages whether positive or negative. It's a special kind of a language we all are starting to understand and get affected by, hopefully in a good way."
The young Emirati rapper made his name when he turned his sentiments into lyrics about his country. The catchy hip-hop beats and smooth R &B vocals of his track Ana Emirati have been watched by more than 9,000 people on YouTube.
While it's clear home-grown hip-hop is on the rise — five local hip-hop artists will support Snoop at his concert on Friday — local rapper and Radio 1 DJ Dany Neville believes there's still a long way to go.
"Hip-hop in the Arab world is at a very early stage. However, hip-hop culture will definitely grow strong with all the enthusiasm and eager talent that is being nourished in this part of the world."
Local boy Rony Jackson (Rone Jaxxx) agrees with Neville. "Hip-hop in the Middle East is positively at its sponge state, with a lot of room and artists learning, developing and creating new styles. We in the Middle East have so many nationalities and cultures mingling and fusing with a wider scope of international music, so the possibilities are endless of the amount of styles and creativity which can come out from this region all under the hip-hop lifestyle."
"I heard it's a very great place," adds Snoop. "My neffew FredWreck is from out there and he been trying to get me to go there forever now. I'll see u all — can't wait to get out there [sic] ."
Lyrical discourse
"The current era of hip-hop is still unfolding," adds Peterson. "The meteoric rise to popular fame of gangsta rap in the early '90s set the stage for a marked content shift in the lyrical discourse of rap music toward more and more violent depictions of inner city realities.
Millions of magazines and records were sold, but two of hip-hop's most promising artists, Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur were literally gunned down in the crossfire of a media-fuelled battle between the so-called East and West Coast constituents of hip-hop culture.
Since the demise of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G, an era of battling amongst MCs and crews of MCs has taken root. These days you need to be gangsta, rich and prepared to at least do lyrical battle in the name of your crew and/or your position in the culture."
But Snoop, who falls into Peterson's category of "gangsta rap" may just surprise us all. Turns out he's more into football coaching than gunning folk down.
"I'm really a nice guy, about my business. Luv coachin youth football, stay busy, stay ready so I ain't gotta get ready, and I love bein on tha road and takin all tha homeyz per diem in video game tournaments. I have a lot of fun with everyone from Skateboard P to Dr. Dre to Fredwreck to Battlecat to the list goes on and on. Everyone bring sumthin new to tha table and I got different chemistry with every one so it all depends on my mood and how I'm feelin [sic]."
Don't miss it
Local hip-hop artists Desert Heat, Dany Neville, Fredwreck, Khalifa Al Romaithi, DJ Lobito, Mighty 4, Robin, Rone Jaxxx and The Recipe will all perform before Snoop hits the stage at Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi tomorrow night.
Snoop will perform hits from his eleventh studio album Doggumentary Music, a series of lyrics based on his life, as well as all the favourites.
Tickets, priced Dh250 and Dh595 for Fanpit, are available at thinkflash.ae. Tables priced Dh9,000 for 10 people and Dh 12,500 for 15 can be booked by calling 055-1533420.
