Arabs Reviewing Shows: The New Amerykah Tour

So, Last night I went to peep The Roots and Ms. Erykah Badu live in Montreal. All I can say is that that is one of the best shows I have seen in my city EVER. The Roots came out mad early (7 pm) and rocked for about an hour and a half. Black Thought never dissapoints. As an MC, his delivery, presence, breath control and overall ability to say ANYTHING at ANY SPEED is something I look up to and hope to be able to achieve. The band is next level, segway-ing from song to song to song without interruption or break, making the Roots experience an expanding and growing relationship between the crowd and themselves. I've seen them three times so far in my life and each time it felt like a new chapter. ?uestlove then gave a talk about how Erykah is late and they aren't supposed to play this long, but they will anyway. After doing tracks from their new record for the first hour, the Roots did a medley of all the latest tracks you and yours know ("This is why I'm hot" or "Hot Thing", "Hip-Hop is dead" and a slew of classic tracks around some jiggy joints.)

As the Roots slowly filed off stage, the MTL crowd was anxious for Erykah to hit us with the light like the powerhouse that she is. I had never seen her in person or on stage in my life, and her last album (or all her albums) are on LP on my Ipod. For those of you who haven't bought New Amerykah Part 1, I suggest you step out of your crib and go purchase it asap. The spiritual, lyrical, personal and political on this album are so on-point for our generation of Arab. We can learn and grow from her words and the depth of her experience as an African-American Woman in babylon.

Erykah was late. She hit the stage about an hour after the Roots so people started getting antsy. As she started, she hit us with the first four tracks off her new record and then went into a bunch of old joints like "On and On" and "Tyrone". Far from being the worst show-woman, she never stopped between tracks either. Her band in her fingertips, Badu would stop and pull on the drummers rhythm, have the keys come in where she wanted to wail out and orchestrated her back-up singers like they were her own voice. She had to finish at 11, so I felt like the set was short (probably due to the fact that her bus driver hit the wrong city). She ended her set with TELEPHONE, a song she wrote for the late great J Dilla (James Yancey). It is one of the best songs I have heard come out of this queen and the one i relate to the most. Losing a brother is always hard to deal with. She of course came back for an encore. She did SOLDIER, the next single off her record. This is the one that addresses the more inconsistencies in North America, where she has lines like "To my folks in Iraqi fields, this ain't no time to kill". I love her.

If this tour is rolling through to your town, go check it out. I promise you it is something you will remember infinitely. From the lights, to her ever-expanding voice, to the soul and love in the room, Erykah and the Roots is my show of the year. And her album is album of the last three years. GO COPP THAT.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

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Arabs Reviewing Movies Part 1-Iron(ic) man

So, I'm a comic book nerd (Shout out to Ragtop). In my 25 years on this planet, I spent about 6 dipping in the alternate reality of comic books. I found it interesting to delve into a place where Earth exists in a different time warp and people have shit like tentacles coming out of their back and spiderwebs coming out their orifices (keep them pants on Peter Parker!). Everytime I see a "remake", or a comic book/childhood cartoon movie come out, I get this childhood-like trance surrounding the film. I'm saying, NO MATTER HOW CHEESY IT IS, I am there. I didn't go see Elektra or Daredevil, and ironically enough, those two ended up together in real life. Those movies sucked so thank God I didn't waste my doe on it. I didn't really read into those characters anyway.

ANYWAY....I had a lazy friday and I went to catch a matinee on my own. So I rolled up into my local multiplex to catch the 1:45 screening of IRON MAN. I watched the first trailer ages ago then I laid low, I didn't feel like catching the dopest special effects in preview format. I told you, I'm a nerd like that. Now, I had heard that there was a Ghostface Killah scene. where the Wally Champ was going to play a Sheikh from Dubai (I would have loved to see how they totally fucked that one up). Last week, I found out that they cut the scene out completely (thank God), although it would gave my mind a pop-culturegasm and my two worlds of music and nerdiness would have been fulfilled. But I digress.

Let me start by saying, Robert Downey Jr. is a great actor...to play a meglomaniac asshole. He's likeable in his arrogance and you want to immediately roll a doob and kick your feet up and listen to him rant away about asshole things (you know he would have bogarted your spliff too). He intertwines witty jokes with social commentary and references to the state of the world over an iced-out glass of scotch. There is a slew of 'stars' in this film, from the high-pitched fervor of Terrence Howard to the Emirates-trim beard of Jeff Bridges, things in this film were well-thought out from the script writing to the casting picks.

This is an introduction film. If any of you have followed the Marvel pattern (if you are a nerd) then you would see that they drop sequel-prone mega-money bangers. There's usually Part 1: The sparsed-action story theme, Part 2: The Mind-fuck super twist and Part 3: The Conclusion blockbuster. Now this is where it got interesting. I knew the film has a Middle Eastern twist. But boy, did this double entendre me in the midst of my experience.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is a multi-billionaire son of a multi-billionaire weapons manufacturer and is now the leading maker of bombs worldwide. Under the guidance of his father's life long partner (Jeff Bridges), Stark is now entering the next phase of bomb-making. His newest weapon, the Jericho, will be unleashed in Afghanistan to aid curtail the Terrorist Threat. You know, the same one that exists in real life. The Afghanistan I mean.

So they have spectacles of these bombs exploding and Stark selling a shipment to the army, telling his partner "It's gonna be Christmas early this year." I'm not going to give a way too much but it draws out into a kidnapping (what do you expect from Hollywood Muslims?), a freedom moment and a patridge and palm tree.

My main issue was this: How fake it felt to watch Iron Man save an Afghani Man from the grasps of a Pseudo-Terrorist. As the man's son looked up to Iron man with 'you are my hero' eyes, i felt like the biggest asshole in the world. The Wars that have infiltrated into the East have become nothing but a sub-plot; we are the new Vietnam. First of all, what about some accuracy? We can deliver action jam-packed films with a little bit of cultural coding for Jihad's Sake Batman (wrong movie). The Afghani Militants, part of a secretive society called the TEN RINGS, allllllllllllllll but one speak EGYPTIAN. Now, I know I know, these could by the Muslim brotherhood brothers, but really? Like, you couldn't find a single afghani? What about home dude in the Kite Runner (I'm kidding, geeezz)? Ahmed Ahmed also have the 'idiot arab' scene, where an attempt at adding humor to the scene is made at the expense of the terrorist characters being too dumb to realize Downey Jr. is building an Iron Man suit and not what they demanded him to do.

My main issues with most these films that deal with deterring terrorism is that they are REINFORCING IGNORANCE which in turn breeds MORE DESTRUCTION AND VIOLENCE. But this is the world we hath been giventh.....Jack Shaheen shout-outs.
Cultural Counseling is the new thing, get with the program Hollywood. Oh wait, you are the program. I just think its so played out, going to see a movie and catching some slip-up like that. Massive minus points go to the Assistant Producer. I mean, imagine an American Character being played with a British accent. Someone would make a huge uproar about it and its all over TMZ. The film, by the end, did address the obsession with weapons and the need for violence to exist for people to stay rich. So I do give it points.

Otherwise, Iron man saves the day and the Afghanis got nothing to thank him for but freedom. And those millions of craters left in the mountain side. And for some reason, everyone is talking Egyptian.

I remember growing up on He-Man and one thing that stayed with me till this day was the last two minutes. They always had a public service announcement scene at the end, where the mythical characters are in a normal room (lab, bedroom, city). The last two minutes are dedicated to education, messages, life lessons. I would learn something. Kids aren't learning shit but how technology makes reality look realer than life.



Where's a real super hero when you need one? I'm sure a kid in Afghanistan or Iraq or Palestine would really appreciate some back-up right about now.

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Slingshot Hip-Hop: Free-ing the P one rhyme at a time

Slingshot Hip-Hop: Right-wingers, put a Lyd on it!

A couple of years ago, I got an e-mail from a dude called Ragtop. He was asking my crew Euphrates to hand a track in for a compilation that is soon to come out, by the name "Free the P"- he wasn't talking about the immediate release of half the legendary Mobb Deep. Talking amongst ourselves, we decided to hand in "I.R.A.Q.", a song about the love for our nation and people. Seeing as I am of Iraqi descent, I felt it only right to show the love for our motherlands and how similar our plights as Arabs are. A lot of the time, the focus and actions of our respective national representatives has been that of a divisive, antagonistic and back-stabbing nature. Nowhere in the public consciousness is there a general strengthening of our need to stick together when weathering the storm of our deserted nomadic roots.

Five years later, Ragtop is known to me as Nizzy (aka Rusty T), we've collaborated on the ARAB SUMMIT record and FREE THE P was a success story. The oneness we showed as artists helped in the semi-fundage of Director/Artiste Extraordinary Jackie Salloum's SLINGSHOT HIP-HOP. Two weeks ago, I had the distinct pleasure to be sitting next to Invincible, one of the artists featured on the aforementioned compilation. We weren't saying much to each other. Being at the MOMA in New York, I was too busy shaking my head in amazement (shaking like 'tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk, this is some history-prone celluloid'). The New York Premiere of SLINGSHOT was-in the memory of Siskel and Ebert- riveting, groundbreaking and a stereotype shattering two-thumbs and two big toes up material.

The story follows the growth of the Palestinian Hip-Hop scene, but by no means is limited to the music. In the first scene we are introduced to DAM, the premiere Palestinian Hip-Hop representatives, visiting the US for the first time. You see the members of the group humbled by the presence of one of their idols, Chuck D. On a promo run for their album DEDICATION, Public Enemy's head honcho invited the group over to his radio show for an exclusive interview and discussion about Hip-Hop and Politics. With DAM garnering international status, we return to the isolated experience that is being Palestinian in a world that doesn't recognize the identity as legitimate. As the film progresses, we are introduced to several groups such as PR, Arabeeyat and Sabreena The Witch, only a few of the burgeoning boom-bapers coming out of the holy land. Salloum takes us across the landscape of modern-day Palestine analyzing the omnipresence of the security wall and its effect on the psyche of the younger population, injustice, historical narratives (in some of the most bananas animation I have seen in a while!) and personal relationships that are obstructed by the inability to cross borders. (something most Arabs can relate to!)

Without giving away too much, the viewer is immediately invited into the homes of Tamer and Suhail (two members of DAM), going through their CDs, books and old home video footage of their passionate discovery of Hip-Hop. From Tamer's rendition of 2pac classics to the old school mistakes and lessons, I related to this film on so many levels. From growing up as the outsider that wore baggy pants and retarded steez to the close bond between strangers through music, I couldn't help but snap my fingers exponentially as the movie rolled out in front of my eyes. There is one scene towards the end that blew my mind. I am of course, not doing justice to the work put into this film. The first thing I thought was "wow". My second thought was "Jackie is the illest". Third, "How is this not huge yet?". Fourth was "I can't wait to go back to Iraq". Lastly, I couldn't help but feel for brothers and sisters trying to make it out the madness that is occupation and disillusionment.

The characters are multi-faceted, intelligent, well-spoken and fun to be around. From Mahmoud Shalabi to Abeer, we notice how distance cannot get in the way of passion and perseverance. One thing I really appreciated about this film is the way the director represented Palestinians. In general, the media representation of our brothers and sisters from another colored mother and mister are as follows:

1.victims- Media images littered with impoverished, desolate and downtrodden Arabs. Although this is true to certain parts of the East, this is by far not the only face we can be painted with. The understanding that the Arab populace is greater than one type of being is much needed and more importantly, needs to be reinforced through our independent media peoples.

2.violent oppressors- Bomb Laden-Gun Totting-Bullet Ridden-Headwrap Rocking-Eye only seeing-Black turtle neck sporting-Islamo Camo Couture-Jihad Claimin'-Arm Flailing- Lu'tmiya Crying-Revenge Yielding- Money Hungry- Oil Poor-Ghetto Imprisoned- America Hating- Non MTV watching-Arab Jarab Haters. In other words, you turn on CNN or FOX news and realise that, there has got to be an agenda going on here. From Chuck Norris to Arnie, the engendered relationship between Arab men and women, and the propagated bloody terror that is attached to our identity is one of the commodities of the the War on Terror. (the supposed War on Terror, you mean, the War for Power).

3.Over-sexualized Harem Lovers- Lastly The image of Arab men as porno addicts and exotic punanee mongers is another unavoidable stereotype. Not to say we aren't good in bed now, but I digress.

To most readers of this website, these are obvious things to avoid when making a visual document of our existence. Let just say this now, at the cost of getting some belligerent post about how "one sided" I am. In no way am I simply negating these faces of Arabs. We do have angry-ass militias, we do have over-sexed leaders who indulge in more prostitution than hugh hefner, and yes, we definitely have victims to tragedy that are implausible to say the least. BUT, my point is, Jackie Salloum manages to turn these faces onto themselves. At no point in the movie do you feel the stars are WEAK, in fact, you see the total opposite; a group of youth coming up through hardship and staying positive, resilient and hopeful. She also avoids the regular rhetoric of most films I have seen about the occupation. In no way is there a finger pointing session; most of the explanation is backed up by facts, political history, and a general understanding of the situation as a whole. You can tell the director, producer (shout out Rumzi) and the animation team (freehabib.com) had a good head on their shoulders and decided to, once and for all, bring truth to the light through a human story.

SLINGSHOT HIP-HOP is one of the best documentaries I have seen on Arab Hip-Hop (if not the only one) coming straight outta the P. This movie rocked! (pun intended brothers and sisters!) I look forward to more of Ms. Salloum's work and the next DAM record. Not only are these people at the forefront of changing our image, they have a perspective that by in-large is something my generation of Arab migrant share. I urge all you to go see it, enjoy it, soak it in and understand that the voice of the oppressed is legitimate, powerful and full of hope. That's definitely one thing I left the MOMA feeling. Hope.

LINKS:
slingshothiphop.com
Myspace.com/slingshothiphop
DAMpalestine.com
myspace.com/palrapperz
myspace.com/damrap
myspace.com/sdawitch
myspace.com/safaa3arapeye
freethep.com

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