Their sound is as rhythmic and their beats are as catchy as any mainstream U.S. rap group. Their origins are similar to the rough upbringings referenced in American hip-hop songs and music videos. But where American rap often deals with money and women, Palestinian hip-hop group DAM draws its inspiration from real-life problems in the Middle East — the occupation of the West Bank and tension between Israel and Palestine — creating a powerful message through the art of rap. DAM treated the crowd at Alumnae Hall to an intimate performance Saturday.
Though the event began 15 minutes late due to sound issues, which persisted throughout the performances, the audience seemed excited to be a part of the group's second performance at Brown. Before the group got started, Eric Axelman '12 introduced Jackie Salloum, a filmmaker who showed the first 15 minutes of her documentary, "Slingshot Hip-Hop," which delves into the rise of Palestinian hip-hop and its effects on the Middle East at large. For those unfamiliar with the group's origins, the documentary was a quick introduction to their rise to prominence.
DAM was founded by two brothers, Suhell Nafar and Tamer Nafar, and their neighbor Mahmoud Jreri. They began rapping out of a love of music and soon found themselves at the head of a new hip-hop movement that originated from the political instability in the Middle East. In the clip shown, DAM described their group as "30 percent hip-hop, 30 percent literature and 40 percent" the experiences that came with living in Lyd, the rumored drug capital of Israel.
Once the group came on stage, the atmosphere turned into more of a concert setting. Though the 60-person crowd was dwarfed by the massive hall, DAM quickly made the concert a more intimate setting with their conversational introductions and constant jokes. When asked, the audience revealed a 50-50 split between Arabic and non-Arabic speakers, but DAM's beats made everyone dance, regardless of language barriers. The group made sure to check in on the audience between every song, and even taught a few Arabic words to help the crowd better understand their music.
American influences were front and center — Major Lazer and Michael Jackson were among the artists sampled in their songs. DAM also sang a few songs and freestyled in English, when their enthusiasm really shone through. Tamer Nafar prefaced his English songs with the phrase "I'm so excited," much to the approval of the audience.
Though the songs sounded mainstream, their lyrics were consistently influenced by the tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, and the memories of oppression and corruption that stemmed from their experiences growing up as Palestinians in Israel.
But they also had a little fun — one of their newer songs "Mama, I Fell in Love with a Jew" was a parody of the romantic struggles Israelis and Palestinians occasionally face due to their political differences.
The crowd diminished as the concert went on. By the end, only the most ardent DAM fans remained. To finish up the event, the group hosted a short question and answer session, where questions included what songs they like to sample and why the group is not doing more to advertise their music in Palestine. The group's responses were thoughtful — group members shared stories of performing in the United States and Israel, and the occasional hypocrisy that comes from organizers on occasion.
DAM finished their session by discussing the balance they hope to achieve with their music. From their experience, sometimes they are asked to perform solely for their music without any attention placed on their message and vice versa. "It's very rare to find a place that wants both," Suhell Nafar said.
