Hip Hop and Conflict

Emmanuel Jal, shown above is an ex child soldier and now raps about his experiences.

In the July issue of “The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs” Magazine an article about Hip Hop struck a chord within me. The U.S. Institute of Peace discussed the effects of Hip Hop music and culture in areas of conflict. All research indicates that Hip Hop is spreading like wild fire in the age of youth. The “Washington Report” interviewed one Palestinian rapper Abeer to gain a better understanding of this phenomenon.

“Hip Hop taught me who I am,” says Abeer. “With Hip Hop we know we are able to talk about our rights. Through Hip Hop we want people to see Palestinians as different from the terrorists who bombed the bus.” Another MC, Silas Balabyekkubo, left war ravaged Uganda for Canada. Hip Hop gave Silas a resolve in a time of struggle and the incentive to make changes. “We’re finding out that hip hop is uniting us.” The music also inspired him to look at his roots and the power within. The MC was propelled to head back to his war torn homeland and create the Bavubuka Foundation, a non-profit that aims to link young Ugandans with music and art. A number of ex-pat African MCs residing in the U.S. have been paid to tour areas of conflict such as Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and Israel to bring about dialogue with youth.

“The politicians can’t do it,” said Washington based MC Kokayi. “Send in hip hop. This is the voice of the youth.” Even though hip hop is empowering the next generation to take responsibility and ownership for change, there is also the flip side.

Former child soldier Ishmael Beah (whose book “A Long Way Gone” tells of his childhood experiences in war torn Sierra Leone) is quick to point out rap’s role in battle.

“Rap was played,” says Beah, “before, during and after we attacked and killed villagers. This made the kids associate violent acts with the music.” Think of these soldiers as Pavlovian killing machines activated by the rhymes of Tu Pac. “Rap, especially gangster rap, is the soundtrack of war.” Gangster rap, as a genre, seems to have colonized the eardrums of soldiers in a number of global regions where there is conflict. Eighty five percent of all youth live in third world countries and the consensus suggests that most are utilizing the music to bring about peace and change. Hip Hop has become the voice of those in struggle, conflict and pain. The culture and music are no longer just a breezy life-style choice but an instrument for survival and hope for those who need to be heard.

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