ABSTRACT
Rap music is big in Beirut. Rappers perform at beach parties, at festivals, at private happenings, and on many other occasions. Through the Internet, I found at least 250 rap groups in Lebanon. They are spread all over the country, and are all producing tracks and some video clips, too. Some MCs and DJs are very young, born in the mid to late 1990s. Within this circle, one finds a big variety: French rap, American rap, Palestinian rap, gangsta rap, jihad rap, Christian rap, Armenian rap, and much more. the MCs primarily rap in Lebanese dialects, English, French, and Fusha (literary Arabic). Everybody wants to be a rapper, I thought at times. Boys and girls seem to enjoy the lifestyle that they attach to rap. However, this does not mean that all of those trying to rap are brilliant. There are admittedly only a handful of MCs that can rap with flow and with enough poetic knowhow to rhyme and play with rhythm.
Why did I choose to come to Beirut? I sometimes ask myself. I remember brilliant rap from Dakar, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, and Latin America. During some concerts, I think that these Beiruti rappers neither feel the beat nor the sound. Or: One hears that Beirut has a short tradition of urban music, subcultural music, and alternative music—as a contrast to Belgrade, for example. Then I remember other field trips. It often took time to find the distinct and powerful musicians. Stay positive: the larger the number of rappers, the bigger the chance that excellent rappers will come through. (Fieldnotes, 2005)
