LONDON - For more than 25 years, Kurdish versions of rap music, blending heavy beats with traditional instruments, and weaving Arab melodies around both anodyne, and political lyrics, has united the Kurdish youth around the world. Its beginnings run parallel to the rise of Gangsta rap in the US, with Kurdish artists adopting similar musical traits to the popular, aggressive verses born in tough American cities like Detroit, and east Los Angeles. Modelling their clothing, their gestures, and their theme on their own culture’s struggle from the established Gangsta rap, Kurdish artists address racism, xenophobia, and the quest for freedom in their songs. Strong political statements, and the beats they’re sung to, are inspiring an entire generation of young Kurds, like 22-year-old Naila Bozo.
“The message of a rap or hip-hop song is delivered with more intensity and passion than other genres of music and there is an urgency to it that reminds me of the Kurdish struggle for freedom.”
Vera Eccarius-Kelly, professor of political science at Siena College in New York, has researched Kurdish Diaspora politics extensively and says there isn’t necessarily a singular theme among Kurdish rappers.
“Some rappers use images of the Kurdish struggle in online videos to display their ethnic nationalism, while others express disillusionment with their parents’ dreams related to the homeland... some rappers are religiously oriented.”
Others have the same simple ambitions as their counterparts in the rest of the music industry – land a lucrative recording deal and go on tour.
Eccarius-Kelly explains that unlike the massive, commercially driven rap industry in the US, it has taken much longer for Kurdish rap to come into its own.
“Artists have received little attention until recently because the genre of 'ethnic rap' was considered a niche area that could not be marketed broadly.”
But, with accessible and universal online platforms, groups and solo artists from strong bases in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK, groups are successfully raising their profiles.
Esra’a al-Shafei created Mideast Tunes, an online and portable digital music site for underground musicians, four years ago. Shafei says the internet has been crucial to the increasing popularity of Kurdish rappers.
“The internet plays a big role in the discovery of current and aspiring rappers, so the rise, reach, and increasing impact of this genre is inevitable. It also lowers the barriers of entry as anyone can self-produce their tracks and upload it to online services such as Soundcloud or YouTube, as opposed to having the limits of CDs, radio, and so on.
Many collaborations between rappers have resulted from the online discovery of each other, and often collaborate without even having to be in the same city or country. It's an important medium - from publishing to discovery to growing a fan base.”
Tracks are produced throughout Europe, with rappers singing in their native languages, as well as Kurdish and more widely Turkish, for its broader reach.
Many, but not all Kurdish rap artists use their medium to convey the Kurdish struggle for freedom and respond to topical events. One of Kurdish rap’s most popular artists, Serhado, is so influential that the Turkish government considered him a political threat and arrested him.
The 29-year old grew up in a segregated Swedish neighborhood. His parents’ escape from Turkey and the plight of imprisoned leaders provide inspiration for many of Serhado’s songs. His music videos don’t shy away, either. In one, a little boy is arrested and imprisoned after releasing a dove into the sky. Serhado is wildly popular, but some in the industry say the music of Serhado and others has become overly politicised, and that too strong a link to one political party or another can alienate fans.
Some say that’s whole the point of Kurdish rap.
Shafei interviewed Kurdish Turkish rapper Siwan Erdal a few years ago. Erdal’s message is so important to his music, he told her he’d give up rap entirely if his lyrics didn’t make the impact they do.
Controversial or not, the lyrics adored by the 20-something fan base all serve one common purpose: They unite fragmented, dispersed communities of Kurds throughout the world and provide a sense of belonging.
Listener Naila Bozo predicts rappers will use their lyrics to become even more vocal about the Kurdish cause.
“I think it will become more political... Kurds now face another war in the Syrian battlefields, and we’ll see more Kurds rap to raise awareness of our plight. It will also become more diverse as young people from all parts of Kurdistan choose it as a way of expressing themselves.”
