DAM

I first heard them on the soundtrack of a couple things and wondered who was rapping in arabic, then i was watching democracy now and they played it on one of their break segments and amy goodman said what group it was, DAM. I bought their cd this summer and it's pretty good.
unfortunately, i think its unfair to compare the state of hip hop in any other country with the USA, because it was born here and we live in an absurd fantasy land. while in palestine it might be hard to just come across electricity sometimes what to speak of a mic, MPC, and a place to play, in america if you produce a 4/4 hot club beat and rap about "shawty" and "bein up in da club", you can make a million dollars overnight. then you ride home in your hummer with 10 18's.

the highlight of their album is Al Huriye Unt'a (Freedom for my Sisters), one of the tracks featuring the female rapper Safa' Hathoot. once i read their lyrics (translations) thats when i knew these guys were legit. in that track here is safa's verse:
"The Arabic woman’s life is written
What should she do, where should she go, it’s all written
She’s like a wounded bird in the sky
Scared to land because of the hunters
Imprisoned in her own house, thirsty for freedom
And can drink nothing but her own tears
Then they dare ask me: why do I cry?
Because I’m a body without a spirit
U abuse it and then I’m wrong while u are right?
Who the hell are you to tell me how to behave?
Asking me “where r u going?”
What? You forgot where u came from? U came from me
But from now on I’m going to be independent
And the new generation follow suit
We should fight for our rights, let men ask questions
But let our sisters answer"


the albums price is worth it just to hear a CHICK rap that shit IN ARABIC. its like, fuck you islam, fuck you backwards ass koran culture!

also, fuck israel (the leadership and the expansion and the human rights abuses, not the civilians).