Hip-hop is often viewed as a western musical art form. We often forgot that hip-hop has grown and graduated to a global scale. But issues arise when music clashes with religion and politics, as it does in certain parts of the world. One of these places can be found in northern Africa, the country of Morocco, where Islam is the most practiced religion. Followers who are referred to as, Muslims, learn that the key to peace in life is dedication to the almighty “Allah” in heart, soul and deed. In the Muslim community, hip-hop is viewed as a sin. Moroccans are not given the right to free speech, which makes their hip-hop quite a bit different from hip-hop in North America. They are ruled by a king, and to publicly voice displeasure is unacceptable. For these reasons and many more, hip-hop in Morocco is a whole different ball game compared to the United States, with shared basics and fundamentals.
Morocco does not fall short in the character department. Many inspiring and talented young hip-hop artists were introduced in the documentary. DJ Key is the first artist we meet. DJ Key is known us the number one DJ in all of Morocco. He is credited as the founder of the original hip-hop collective and he is an advocate for the advancement of hip-hop in Morocco. DJ Key utilizes his own unique blend of old school and new school hip-hop to win over his audiences. DJ Key struggles with maintaining his practice of Islam and continuing his DJ career. His religion is his life but music is his passion, a passion he will not soon give up. Another wall he is forced to overcome is the money. There is simply not much money to be made in hip-hop in Morocco. It costs more money to put together a show than can possibly be earned in one performance. Despite this, DJ Key is an inspired and genuine artist, and he was the one who put together the idea of having a hip-hop festival in Morocco. His reasoning for his love of hip-hop was simple, and common amongst Moroccan artists: The ability to speak and share the truth. This is much like American motives for music, a voice in the community. DJ Key will forever be remembered as a pioneer for Moroccan hip-hop.
As the film continues, more acts are introduced, one being “Mot de Passe,” a Moroccan hip-hop duo comprised of one male and one female. When I was watching the documentary, I was shocked to see a female rapper in Morocco, given the Middle East’s reputation for women’s lack of rights. None the less, the female’s parents fully supported her pursuit of music. Her parents let her choose her own path because her father had musical dreams crushed when he was a child. The reason they gave for liking rap music was the truth that lyrics provided.
Youth is a beautiful thing in the world. Young generations have amazing capabilities. If hip-hop takes off in Morocco and reaches the young kids of the country, hip-hop could be just another part of their culture in the future. Nothing can prevent a certain type of music from becoming popular. Religion is a road block for now, but if the revolution for hip-hop music continues and grows, the possibilities for the future are limitless. The hip-hop business may even be profitable one day.
Moroccan artists are obligated to negotiate the competing pressures of Islam and globalization. Hip-hop is a growing industry that is still relatively young. It is taking over the world one country at a time. The obstacle that Muslims face in hip-hop is their religion. Hip-hop is considered a sin, and only traditional music is considered acceptable. However, with the modernization of music, it is natural for all countries to keep up with current styles. After watching the movie it seemed as though artists were forced to choose which, religion or hip-hop, they would pursue. The hip-hop groups and artists shown in the video were not willing to give up their passion for music. It is unclear what this meant for their religious lives, but music was not about to be sacrificed. Therefore globalization is slowly occurring in Morocco, and will continue to grow now that children and teens will hear hip-hop artists in their homeland.
One controversial aspect of the music festival was America’s involvement. Funding the music festival would look bad from a political standpoint, because America is essentially supporting a rebellion against Islamic culture. On the other hand, the citizens of Morocco, especially hip-hop fans, would be thrilled which would make America well liked among the people of Morocco. I would not think the music festival would play too much into future foreign policy between America and Arab and Islamic countries, although they may resent the fact that America supported the growth of hip-hop and free speech in Morocco.
The music festival was a revolutionary event in Morocco. Hip-hop festivals are not simply a weekend activity. Being able to showcase the best musical talent in Moroccan hip-hop was huge for the industry. The audience was captivated, and loved the show. In turn, they were thankful that America stepped in to fund the festival and ultimately made it possible. Furthermore, they respected the fact that America supported a non-violent cause for once. America appeared to be the hero in advocating freedom of speech. This was a great step for America, and shed some positive light on our country.
The growth of hip-hop in Morocco is a beautiful thing. With more countries getting involved in hip-hop, new ideas methods and techniques will be introduced to the rest of the world. Music can be a collaborative concept, even when it’s not meant to be. In other words, artists new and old around the world can use each other to better themselves and hip-hop as a whole, both competitively and collaboratively. I look forward to seeing what the future of hip-hop in the Middle East, and in America brings.
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