Their sound is as rhythmic and their beats are as catchy as any mainstream U.S.
rap group. Their origins are similar to the rough upbringings
referenced in American hip-hop songs and music videos. But where
American rap often deals with money and women, Palestinian hip-hop group
DAM draws its inspiration from real-life problems in the Middle East —
the occupation of the West Bank and tension between Israel and Palestine
— creating a powerful message through the art of rap. DAM treated the
crowd at Alumnae Hall to an intimate performance Saturday.
Though the event began 15 minutes late due to sound issues, which
persisted throughout the performances, the audience seemed excited to be
a part of the group's second performance at Brown. Before the group got
started, Eric Axelman '12 introduced Jackie Salloum,
a filmmaker who showed the first 15 minutes of her documentary,
"Slingshot Hip-Hop," which delves into the rise of Palestinian hip-hop
and its effects on the Middle East at large. For those unfamiliar with
the group's origins, the documentary was a quick introduction to their
rise to prominence.
DAM was founded by two brothers, Suhell Nafar and Tamer Nafar, and their neighbor Mahmoud Jreri.
They began rapping out of a love of music and soon found themselves at
the head of a new hip-hop movement that originated from the political
instability in the Middle East. In the clip shown, DAM described their
group as "30 percent hip-hop, 30 percent literature and 40 percent" the
experiences that came with living in Lyd, the rumored drug capital of Israel.
Once the group came on stage, the atmosphere turned into more of a
concert setting. Though the 60-person crowd was dwarfed by the massive
hall, DAM quickly made the concert a more intimate setting with their
conversational introductions and constant jokes. When asked, the
audience revealed a 50-50 split between Arabic and non-Arabic speakers,
but DAM's beats made everyone dance, regardless of language barriers.
The group made sure to check in on the audience between every song, and
even taught a few Arabic words to help the crowd better understand their
music.
American influences were front and center — Major Lazer and Michael Jackson were among the artists sampled in their songs. DAM also sang a few songs and freestyled in English, when their enthusiasm really shone through. Tamer Nafar prefaced his English songs with the phrase "I'm so excited," much to the approval of the audience.
Though the songs sounded mainstream, their lyrics were consistently
influenced by the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and the
memories of oppression and corruption that stemmed from their
experiences growing up as Palestinians in Israel.
But they also had a little fun — one of their newer songs "Mama, I Fell
in Love with a Jew" was a parody of the romantic struggles Israelis and
Palestinians occasionally face due to their political differences.
The crowd diminished as the concert went on. By the end, only the most
ardent DAM fans remained. To finish up the event, the group hosted a
short question and answer session, where questions included what songs
they like to sample and why the group is not doing more to advertise
their music in Palestine. The group's responses were thoughtful — group
members shared stories of performing in the United States and Israel,
and the occasional hypocrisy that comes from organizers on occasion.
DAM finished their session by discussing the balance they hope to
achieve with their music. From their experience, sometimes they are
asked to perform solely for their music without any attention placed on
their message and vice versa. "It's very rare to find a place that wants
both," Suhell Nafar said.
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