Welcome to Arab عlt!
A monthly newsletter on Arab rap culture
Some weeks ago it took place the ceremony of the “Victoires de la Musique”, the French equivalent for the Grammy Awards that recognize the most influential artists and albums during the year 2022. That ceremony proved again the systemic discrimination that rap artists suffer in France, despite topping the charts of the most sold albums and most streamed artists year after year. The discrimination starts already with the selection of those nominated, which included very few rap artists – with just Orelsan present in several categories. Among those who had the chance to be recognized as the best Revelation artist was Tiakola, whose album debut “Melo” was among the most sold during 2022. An incredible live performance during the awards was not enough to deserve the victory - you can enjoy on the video above -. Reactions in social media among the French rap community were swift, with rapper SDM stating that “We, rap artists, we are not respected yet”, and even the winner, Pierre de Maere, publicly declared that Tiakola deserved to win.
Occasions like that clearly demonstrate the institutional neglect that rap artists and the rap scene face in France despite the incredible growth it has experimented during the past years, becoming the most listened music in the country. Definitely, the issue is not unrelated to the wider discrimination that communities of migrants and their descendants suffer in the country on many other domains and proves the difficulties of part of French society to accommodate the success of those that seem to question, in different ways, the system. In fact, the only rap artist - apart from Orelsan - that won during the awards was Ninho, whose album “Jefe” was the most streamed during 2022 – just because numbers cannot be manipulated – and he did not dare to show up to pick his award.
This is precisely the reason why Arab عlt is born. There is still a long way for rap artists and rap music to get the place they deserve in society and the recognition of the contributions they make to the communities where it is developed. Arab عlt seeks to debunk many of those myths about Arab culture in general, and the rap scene in particular. From the rise of French rap as the most listened music in France to the emergence of a current of Moroccan rappers in Spain that are questioning the traditional perceptions of Arab youth in the country, passing by the many rappers that are smashing the streaming rates throughout the Arab world, Arab عlt aims to present a very different picture of the representations that mainstream media and conservative press make of rap music and culture. From a sociological, anthropological, and political science perspective, it seeks to focus on neglected issues, out of focus impacts and the contributions of rap music and rap artists to their societies.
This newsletter is originally written in English, but if interest arises from other audiences, I will consider publishing it in additional languages, so maximum support for it!
Where to start?
Would you like to get a first hint of some of the artists Arab عlt will feature? Here you have our playlist:
In our upcoming issue…
Morad: la même galère jusqu’à L’Hospitalet | The rise of Arab rap scene in Spain