Palestinian Hip-Hop Comes to DC

by Matt Horton

ARAB and African hip-hop artists converged Dec. 16 at Washington, DC's local progressive hot spot, Bus Boys and Poets, to raise funds for the forthcoming film "Slingshot Hip Hop: The Palestinian Lyrical Front," expected to debut at film festivals this year. Over a hundred people packed the restaurant's small performance space, and hundreds more were turned away.

Emceed by Noura Erekat, the show began with rapper-activist Iron Sheik, who warmed up the crowd. After watching a superb clip from "Slingshot Hip Hop," members of the audience started writing checks in order to help filmmaker Jackie Salloum complete and market the film.

Special guest Noose, an Arab-American artist from New Jersey who recently opened for Hip-Hop super group Bone-Thugs-in-Harmony, continued the positive performances with a beautiful spoken word piece, and MC Narcissist, an Iraqi-Canadian artist who is part of the Montreal based group Euphrates, brought fire down on the grateful crowd.

At intermission, Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal was asked by Huwaida Arraf of the DC Ban CAT Coalition to be the first to sign a pledge stating that "Caterpillar Inc. products (including heavy machinery, clothing and other products) will not be purchased, rented or used on these premises until Caterpillar Inc. ceases its support of the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and its sale of bulldozers and other equipment to the Israeli military for the use of demolishing Palestinian homes and civilian infrastructure-officially making Bus Boys and Poets a CAT-Free Zone."

The second half of the show began with a stellar performance by local (politically) "conscious hip-hop" giant Head-Roc with guest Noyeek the Grizzly Bear. Head-Roc, who is married to activist/photographer Badia Albanna, also announced the birth of their first child, Sama. The night ended with local favorites, the Philistines and the N.O.M.A.D.S., who dazzled the crowd with hard-hitting, tightly packed rhymes.

The show also promoted the CD "Free The P" (available from the AET Book Club), a stellar compilation that features many of the participating artists as well as Palestinian poet laureate Suheir Hammad, Detroit's Invincible, Joe Carr, reclusive genius Excentrik, Palestinian artists DAM and PR and more. "Free The P," presented by the Philistines, also benefits "Slingshot Hip Hop."

-Matt Horton

Related Web Sites

http://www.busboysandpoets.com
http://www.slingshothiphop.com
http://www.ironsheik.biz
http://www.noosemusic.com
http://www.euphrates.ca
http://www.dcbancat.org
http://www.head-roc.com
http://www.noyeek.com
http://www.thephilistines.com
http://www.thenomads.biz
http://www.freethep.com