DAM (Palestinian rap group)
DAM is a Palestinian hip hop and rap group that formed in 1999 in the mixed city of Lod in the State of Israel by the trio of Tamer Nafar, his brother Suheil and their friend Muhammad Jrere. It is among the most prominent and best-known Palestinian hip hop and rap groups and is "often regarded as the quintessential Palestinian resistance band".[1][2]
DAM’s music is focused on Palestinian identity, culture, and resistance, and the group has frequently used their music and profile to raise awareness of the Palestinian cause, often performing their music in collaboration with activist groups. The name DAM is an acronym for "Da Arab MCs" that also means "enduring" or "everlasting" in Arabic (dām) or "blood" in Hebrew (dam).[1]
History
DAM leader Tamer Nafar began his career in 1998 in the Jewish–Israeli rap scene under the wing of the Tunisian–Iranian-origin Israeli rap artist Subliminal.[1] In 1999, Nafar formed DAM with his brother Suheil and their mutual friend Muhammad Jrere, but as late as 2000 the group continued to perform in concert with Subliminal and other Jewish–Israeli rappers.[1]
They went on to perform in the West Bank, where they sampled "famed protest poetry and traditional song material" and brought it into their rap.[3] The film Slingshot Hip Hop features DAM's three founders as protagonists as it traces the rise of DAM and other Palestinian hip hop groups.[4] Though DAM is sometimes mistakenly identified as the first Palestinian hip hop or rap group,[5] they were preceded by a band named "MWR", a group from Acre that has since disbanded.[1]
DAM was created in order to give a voice,[6] and a platform to express widespread disillusionment and discontent felt by the Palestinian youth facing discrimination and oppression from Israel. The trio having experienced adolescence in this context, used hip hop as a means of communicating their sentiments towards their difficult situations as Palestinians.[7]
In their early days, the group had limited access to recording studios and necessary equipment, and experienced censorship, surveillance and persecution by Israeli authorities.[8] It is despite these obstacles that DAM was able to build a following in the Palestinian music scene as well as with frustrated Palestinian youth.
Musical Style and Impact
DAM’s musical style merges Western hip hop with traditional Palestinian musical influences, creating a distinct music genre that reflects their political message and identity. Rapping in both English and Arabic and even Hebrew, this fusion is further seen in their lyrics, which describe their experiences as Palestinians under occupation, their aspirations for social justice and human rights as well as their critiques of the society they live in.[5]
While DAM was characterized early on as "young, angry, hardcore Palestinian Israeli youth straight out of Lyd's ghetto", they later took a different direction, "speaking to issues of racism and reconciliation with Israel",[9] voiced in song lyrics such as:
Where is the equality when I live in a shack? ... When I am not mentioned in the national anthem[9]
By 2012, DAM was said to have grown tired of their identification as a "resistance band", with its members instead seeking identities as mainstream commercial artists wanting to "move beyond the political hype" and "be known for their beats and verses".[3]
There has been almost no analysis of DAM's Hebrew songs or its position in Israeli society and culture, but the simplistic outline of a resistance narrative does not adequately reflect DAM's nuanced political and cultural stances and the multiple audiences it addresses.[10]
Controversy and Challenges
Because of the stance DAM has taken, the group has faced political pressure and censorship from Israeli authorities, who view their music as a threat to Israeli legitimacy. As a result, the rap group experienced difficulties in organising events and performances, Israeli authorities actively wanting to shut down these events over basis of inciting hate and unrest towards the Israeli state.[11]
They have also faced backlash for their song "Mama I fell in love with a Jew", with a parodic music video where the rap group is in an elevator with a IDF soldier.[12]
Discography
DAM has released two albums:
- “Ihda” (2006)
- ”Dabke on the Moon” (2015)
Together, these albums have earned DAM critical acclaim and helped make them a leading voice in Palestinian artistic resistance movements.[13]
Live Performances and Collaborations
Many of DAM’s live performances in Palestine and around the world have been in collaboration with other activist groups and artists in support of Palestinian resistance and culture. They are furthermore associated with other activist groups, advocating for the safety of Palestinian refugees and political prisoners. [14]
Legacy and Influence
DAM’s music has been recognised as a powerful means to express Palestinian discontent and culture, spreading their message around the world. This group has inspired hope and change amongst the Palestinian resistance movement and general supporters of the Palestinian cause. [15]
External links
References
Citations
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Swedenburg 2013, p. 19.
- ↑ "Rival rappers reflect Mid-East conflict". 2004-11-26. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Urkevich 2015, p. 148.
- ↑ Allers, Jackson. "Slingshot Hip Hop invades Lebanon". Menassat. Archived from the original on 2010-02-06. Retrieved 2009-03-20. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dutton, Jack (2019-04-10). "Da Arab MCs: Palestine's first hip-hop group on politics, feminism and their third album". The National. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ Faber, Tom (2019-08-19). "'If Israeli soldiers start shooting, we won't stop the interview': Palestinian hip-hop crew BLTNM". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ Denselow, Robin (2014-08-07). "Various artists: Rough Guide to the Music of Palestine review". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ "Israel: Police attempt to shut down Palestinian rapper's show over 'incitement'". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Urkevich 2015, p. 147.
- ↑ Swedenburg 2013, p. 22.
- ↑ "Israel: Police attempt to shut down Palestinian rapper's show over 'incitement'". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ "'Mama, I Fell in Love With a Jew': Behind Palestinian Rap Group's Newest Song". Haaretz. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ Meadley, Phil (2006-09-17). "DAM, Ihda (Dedication)". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ "Palestinian rhythms of resistance". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
- ↑ Murphy, Maureen Clare (2010-12-17). ""We will continue to sing": DAM's Suhell Nafar interviewed". The Electronic Intifada. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
Sources
- Swedenburg, T. (2013). "Palestinian Rap". Popular culture in the Middle East and North Africa: A postcolonial outlook. Routledge research in postcolonial literatures. 46. Routledge. pp. 17–32. ISBN 9780415509725. Search this book on
- Urkevich, L. (2015). "[Review of My Voice is My Weapon: Music, Nationalism, and the Poetics of Palestinian Resistance, by D. A. McDonald]". Notes. 72 (1): 146–148. JSTOR 44015031.
This article "DAM (Palestinian rap group)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:DAM (Palestinian rap group). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
