ISSUE 09 • JULY 2014
YOUR MONTHLY SOURCE OF REAL HIP-HOP CULTURE
re-volt magazine is a new platform under the same roof as re-volt blog, which initially started as a space where views on mainstream music can be openly discussed, where the music industry is put on the stand and criticized, and lastly, where underground, talented unrepresented artists are given a chance to stand out. Our main focus is to expose hip hop as a positive genre and detach it from the corrupted mainstream hip hop. Starting up an online magazine will benefit this message, as re-volt magazine will reach more readers worldwide and will enlighten people on the power of the word and the role of hip hop in the Arab region. Aside from the well-known elements of hip hop - which are MC, BBoy, Beatbox, Graffiti, DJ and Knowledge re-volt magazine also focuses a great deal on any other forms of expression/art that concretize the richness of our Arab culture. The list includes films, documentaries, initiatives, events, companies, charity organization, etc... A mic, a choreography, a vocal percussion, spraypaint, a vinyl record, a book or a film... We choose all the above. The power of the word to inform, to represent and to stay real! EDITOR HASSANE DENNAOUI ASSOCIATE EDITOR | GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hanane FATHALLAH CONTRIBUTORS If you’re interested to write for re-volt magazine, email us revoltmag1@gmail.com
CONTENTS A special edition this month featuring the old and the new. Nine months so far and still going strong. With Ramadan in our hearts and our everyday life this month, re-volt magazine team decided to take a time-out and reflect on what we have accomplished so far. The highlights of this issue are: An exclusive quick Q&A with BOIKUTT a Q&A with SLEUTHER and an in-depth interview with Gabriel TEODROS. Many thanks to Saudi Artist Fida Al-Hussan for the cover. re-volt TEAM Hassane & Hanane DENNAOUI
Cover Artwork Pop Art by Fida Al-Hussan Instagram @fidaart
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FEATURE | GABRIEL TEODROS
[FOLLOW GABRIEL TEODROS] http://www.gabrielteodros.com Twitter @GabrielTeodros http://gabrielteodros.bandcamp.com http://www.youtube.com/gabrielteodros
Exclusive Q&A// GABRIEL TEODROS
FEATURE | GABRIEL TEODROS more you work it out, the easier it becomes to create masterpieces. I want to grow to be a vessel that can channel the masterpiece in any moment, on stage, in a studio or wherever... so the process is actually more important to me than the product. How does your Ethiopian Background contribute to your style? My earliest musical memories are of Ethiopian music, Aretha Franklin, and old-school Hip Hop. I love hearing beats that bring together all these different worlds, and hope to have the music reflect that as much as the lyrics already do. Children Of The Dragon was the album that musically reflected it the most... if it wasn’t a sample from an old Ethiopian song, it was us actually on the keys playing something in the pentatonic scale. I want to go a lot deeper into bringing together the sounds of my Mother’s land and Hip Hop, just because it feels so natural. I also remember being in Ethiopia listening to all these different rhythms you never hear in Western music, and rapping along to all of them!
How did you & Hip-Hop meet? Hip Hop was a part of my first memories of life. I remember breakdancing, hearing rap music and seeing graffiti everywhere before I even knew it was called Hip Hop. It just felt like what you did as a young person in the neighborhood of Columbia City, Seattle, WA, early 1980’s. Do you remember the first verse you ever wrote? I don’t remember the first verse I ever wrote, but I do remember the first verse that I thought was kind of dope. I was 14 or 15 years old and it was primarily in English with some Amharic and Spanish words sprinkled in there. It was a battle verse and I remember thinking it was better than whatever was on the radio at the time, so maybe I should keep writing. Take us through your lyrical writing process? When I’m at my best, my writing process is just listening. I hear the words in the music. And sometimes there’s also pictures I’m trying to decribe. I tend to write and record at the same time too. I believe in the magic of every single moment, and I don’t believe 2 moments are ever exactly the same. A lot of times that means I’ll throw away yesterday’s verse in favor of writing a new one today. I also believe that creativity is a muscle, and the
What Inspired you to rap? I had a dream the night 2pac died. I found a staircase that doesn’t exist in real life, that went from my house to a subway tunnel. The tunnel had windows and there was a pure light bleeding in through every window. I understood this to be where you wait for that train to the other side, where there’s no coming back from. I knew 2pac was waiting but he hadn’t boarded his train yet. I found him, grabbed his hand, and told him he needed to come back to the surface. I told him he had all of our ears, he had barely seen his own potential, and he was supposed to lead us to our liberation. He listened, he laughed, he shook his head and said the words “It’s on you now”. I woke up and heard the news, and all I could think about was that dream. I knew I was gonna rap for the rest of my life that day. I was 15 years old. Your thought on Hip-Hop culture now-a-days? It’s complex. Boots Riley (of The Coup) did an interview recently where he challenged the mainstream narrative of Hip Hop’s origin story, and it made a lot of sense to me. The mainstream narrative being that Hip Hop culture started at a particular time, in the South Bronx, with a particular group of people, and the music we call “Hip Hop” spread from there. What that story doesn’t tell you is that without anyone calling it “Hip Hop” Black people were rapping over beats in the United States decades before Sugarhill Gang. Without anyone calling it Hip Hop, there were Somali poets settling entire conflicts using verses, going back centuries. When I was in Ethiopia, the music and culture that reminded me the most of Hip Hop existed in Azmari Beits,
FEATURE | GABRIEL TEODROS literally, traditional Ethiopian music houses. Every night these singers go into improvised verses, battling each other and talking about the crowd. Nobody called it Hip Hop, but they are freestyling rhymes. What I’m getting at is what we call “Hip Hop culture” really is an extension of Black culture, but when Hip Hop becomes “universal” I think it becomes too easy for some to erase Black people from it. Like any medicine, the same ingredients in the wrong hands can be made a poison, and I think in the United States that’s exactly what has happened. Before Hip Hop was an industry, Black and Brown youth told the world who they were with Hip Hop. Now that it is the most dominant form of music in the industry, and Black and Brown youth have no control of it on a mainstream level, we are now told what Hip Hop is, and by extension, we are told who we are. No matter how far from the truth it may be, at some level, people really start believing it. I think the same type of music we use to liberate ourselves can be used to enslave people, and if you look at the disproprotionate number of Black and Brown youth serving time in these for-profit prisons here, and then look at what images of Black and Brown men dominate the mainstream media, I think it’s clear. Do you think Radio Play is as important as before? It might not be as important as before, but it’s still important. You can have a successful music career now and never get mainstream radio play, and I don’t know if it was as easy to do 20 years ago. However there are people I grew up with that became household names, overnight, once mainstream radio started playing them. Are you familiar with any of the Arabic Hip-Hop Artists? & would you collabo with any of them if there is a chance? Absolutely, Sabreena Da Witch (Abeer Alzinaty) and me have a song together actually, “Beit”, it’s featured both on her album A Woman Under The Influence and my Colored People’s Time Machine. I met her after a screening of the film Slingshot Hip Hop near Seattle. I performed with her and Mohammed Alfarra from P.R. at a few shows and we all hit it off. Sometime later, also in Seattle, I got a chance to open up for DAM, and I would love to work with them on music someday. And I haven’t met her yet, but I’m also a huge fan of Shadia Mansour! What is your dream? And where is your dream performing stage? My dreams is to live in a world as part of a species that respects and values all forms of life. My dream performing stage: I’d like to play music on every habitable planet throughout the cosmos, and listen to music from all those planets too.
Who is GT currently listening to? Flying Lotus, OCnotes, and a lot of old Ethiopian music. Any words for re-volt magazine readers? Keep reading! What are you currently working on? More music and more stories. Children Of The Dragon was just released and I’ve already finished another album with Auckland, New Zealand-based producer SoulChef entitled Evidence Of Things Not Seen. I’ll always make music, but I’m also hoping to publish a book in the next few years. I’ve been writing more prose and have my first short story being published in the upcoming anthology Octavia’s Brood: Science Fiction Stories From Social Justice Movements. In Saudi Arabia, its so hard to find venues for artists to perform. What sort of advise would you share with them? Relationships are everything, work with people that are excited to work with you, and think outside the box. My first shows growing up were park jams sponsored by a record store. I worked with a group of people that helped turned an Eritrean restaurant in Seattle into an established venue, and then did it again with an Ethiopian restaurant in Vancouver, BC. We used the basement of a community center in our neighborhood as the our main place to do shows for years before that. It’s nice to perform in established venues, but I’ve seen whole communities transform when you realize you can create a venue, anywhere. Speaking of Hip Hop, the movement gained popularity via block parties powered by stolen electricity in impoverished neighborhoods. As Jimi Hendrix said: “Learn the rules, break the rules, and just play.” Tell Re-Volt something not a lot of people know about you Benjamin Sisko from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is my hero. Interview by Hassane Dennaoui a.k.a. BIG HASS revoltmag1@gmail.com
ALBUM RELEASE | FIGHT FOR PEACE
BIG MO | FIGHT FOR PEACE ‘Fight For Peace’ is a critical and conscious school of thought that delves into the prevalent issues we are facing individually, economically, environmentally and as a society. All set to a backdrop of varying soundscapes with organic instrumentation and hints of bass & synth. Released 04 July 2014 Executive Producers: Green Luck Media Group & Samarei Music Written by: Mohammed Alkhadher Composed by: Sam Waldo Produced by: Sam Waldo (Samarei Music) & Bryce Trost (GLMG) [BUY ALBUM] http://bigmoglmg.bandcamp.com/album/fight-for-peace-ep-2
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َ ُم FEATURE | BOIKUTT - قاط َعة
Exclusive Q&A َ ُم boikutt - قاط َعة
1. Do you believe that Music can change people’s ideologies? It definitely can, but it doesn’t have to. Music can be a means of communication and empowerment, but it can also be a tool for brainwashing and promoting specific habits and consumption patterns. At other times it’s merely entertainment. 2. What kind of support are you getting from the Media in the Middle-East? The only media I need, I am getting from outlets, like Re-Volt Magazine, who promote my work and help get it out there. The most important is the exposure my work gets from the listeners..the supporters. Word of mouth is the most credible media, and possibly the best support one can get. On the other hand, my work is not promoted by mainstream media. I am not surprised. Mainstream media wants mainstream music.
3. If you have a microphone broadcasting through Palestine, what would you say? Honestly, I have no idea. 4. What are you currently working on? A bunch of different projects. Many collaborations (singles) to be dropped soon on the internet, as well as Remixes of ‘Hayawan Nateq’ (my debut album that was released on November1st 2013). I’m working on a lot of new beats, and also developing and making my live performance better and more LIVE. Interview by Hassane DENNAOUI a.k.a. Big Hass revoltmag1@gmail.com
َ ] ُم [FOLLOW BOIKUTT - قاط َعة
soundcloud.com/boikutt twitter.com/boikutt tashweesh.com
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“Ali, The Greatest” Artwork by Justin BUA
LOCAL FLAVA’ | ODDISEE
[FOLLOW ODDISEE] https://twitter.com/oddisee
Q&A
Sudanese/American MC/Producer
ODDISEE 1. What is the fav thing for you, MCing or Producing? An: 50-50. Making a good beat makes me want to rhyme & writing a good rhyme makes me want to do the beat. 50-50 all the way. 2. What is the fundamental thing that you use to strive when you do your music? I really strive to make music that people can connect to emotionally on different levels. I want people to get different interpretations of my music but in the end the one thing I want it all to have in common is the connection to it emotionally. 3. Do you see what you hear? I think all societies especially today are very visual societies. If we see it visually, we accept it as truth and I think I’m not obsolete from that; I haven’t managed to escape that even though I’ve tried. 4. Where is the state of underground hip hop in your opinion? It’s a good one in my opinion, but more and more you are starting to hear independent & underground artists being signed & given a wider audience. I think it’s in a good time to be an underground artist. 5. How does the support from the people make you feel? It’s always a comfortable feeling that the music you make is received well by other people. Music is a part of me so every-time I release a record , I am sharing a piece of myself , i am exposing a piece of my soul to people that I never met. So when its received well, its a huge blessing.
6. How can someone make good music and have it successful without compromising the integrity of real music? I think the most important thing is to keep an open mind, to listen & to observe. I stress the importance of that. You can’t find ways to make music that appeal to the masses without catering to them. Every human being is unique: the one thing that we all have in common is that we are unique which is kind of an oxymoron, it’s a paradox. There’s nothing wrong with observing what type of music people like and keeping that in mind when i am creating , not letting it control what I create, just keep it in mind and when you do that, you will make popular music without compromising your integrity. 7. Where is your dream performance stage? Carter Barron. Would love to do a show there! 8. What does Hip-Hop mean to you? Ah. It means so much to me. It’s a way of life. It means the cycle from sampling records to making new records, it creates a full circle of social commentary of music, culture all locked up in one entity. 9. What are your thoughts on the Arabic Hip-Hop movement? I think all Arabic speaking and Islamic countries need hip hop as a voice to let people know whats really going on because if you leave it up to western media they will only reflect the wrong image. The youth that are living all throughout the middle-east need a representation of their own culture reflected to them. 10. What would you say to an upcoming artist? Don’t fall victim to underdevelopment & over exposure. When its ready, it will reveal itself.
ALBUM RELEASE | ONE
L-FRESH THE LION | ONE “On this album, people can expect lyrics, heart, soul, passion, knowledge and hunger. They can expect to be moved and they expect to move. “One” is for those people who enjoy good music; for those who yearn for music that will make them feel.” [FOLLOW L-FRESH THE LION] http://l-fresh.com/
FEATURE | Hip Hop Culture \\ A Diamond in the Rough
hip hop culture A
DIAMOND
IN
THE
ROUGH
C
ulture is a powerful tool that defines humanity. It is a fragile phenomenon, as it does not remain constant. Always apt to change, cultural patterns are continuously evolving into products of people interacting with each other and into universal changes - politically, socially and economically. The youth is the most affected demographic division as it is the future of the next century. We are not exactly living in a problem-free world; therefore shouts, revolutions, and demands are the youth›s main motto. The right to live in decent circumstances summarizes the people’s goal. What sort of medium enables them to convey their emotional bruises? The principal means of expression is music, through lyrics that unshy from the truth. Essentially, Hip Hop is an intelligent music genre and movement, charged with truth, reality and freedom. Intoxicated by the mainstream money making rappers, Underground Hip Hop has managed to rise and reflect its true essence and purpose.
Arab Hip Hop Artists \\ Shadia Mansour | The Narcicyst | Omar Offendum | Lowkey - Photo credit RidzDesign
FEATURE | Hip Hop Culture \\ A Diamond in the Rough
LAISH HIP HOP? (WHY HIP HOP?) Hip Hop is a culture and form of ground breaking music and expression. Hip means “to know”and “to be aware and updated”. Hop stands for “to move” and “to act upon”. Basically, it is an intelligent movement and we can also call it a conscious movement. The so-called Hip Hop we listen to on the radio has polluted the true essence and purpose of ‘real’ Hip Hop. Money-oriented acts, thirsty-for-publicity ‘artists’, ridiculous lyrics and no real flair. Hip Hop was based on lyrical prowess and was created upon four elements: The MC, The DJ, The B-Boy, and the Graffiti Artist And to those elements, two also emerge Knowledge and Support. These parameters have faded away and have almost gone extinct in the mainstream music industry. Although these elements give Hip Hop its character and reputation, popular artists tend to choose the money and corruption path. Why Hip Hop? Still we ask ourselves, how is our world today? While there are crucial issues jeopardizing humanity, some are singing about money, “bling-bling” women, cars, clubbing, and about more explicit matters such as sex, drugs and violence. No offense to every-now-and-then little fun but Hip Hop›s main purpose is to deliver awareness not foolishness and vulgarity. The rise of a new era for Hip Hop is paving the way of the neglected youth towards freedom.
Western artists. This could imply the awakening of the West and its concern and support towards the broken sides of the Arab World.
Proof of this new age are underground artists with revolting, solid and intelligent lyrics such as - from Arab Hip Hop Artists (fig. 1) Shadia Mansour, The Narcicyst, Omar Offendum & LOWKEY. They are gliding against the thickness of the loud and frivolous mainstream industry. Political corruption, social decay, economical demise and humanitarian neglect are agents to causing the world to shake out of its shell and revolt against the system.
Going back to the main question “Laish Hip Hop?” (“Why Hip Hop?”). It is the name of the first real Hip Hop show on a FM Radio Station in Saudi Arabia. Hasaane Dennaoui, a.k.a Big Hass, is the show host of this ground-breaking unique show. There is no doubt that breaching the mainstream in this manner threatens its fake stability. Underground Hip Hop is revolting in words and in actions. It is only a matter of time for it to shed enough light on the issues of the world and for people to really listen.
The revamped version of hip hop embraces all ethnicities and all social status; it is in fact a universal means of expression, translating true life’s struggles and experiences into poetry. The underground scene avoids the mainstream, which constrains the outbreak of the ugly truths surrounding the world. The artists of the new era exercise their right of freedom of speech and excel in transmitting important issues through deep and meaningful lyrics and ear-catching beats. To portray this point, hip hop was used in the recent Arab revolutions, which took place in Tunis, Libya, Egypt,Yemen and Syria, to convey the youth’s message. Moreover, there were some tracks that were done in collaboration with
Let’s not forget that hip hop has planted its seed all over the world, no exceptions. Individuals with power to influence and high-level of intellect and education are leading this humble cause of setting awareness through music, more precisely through Hip Hop. They are the ones composing, recording and transmitting. Young, they recognize the problems and issues that need immediate attention and they hold within the faith in change. Positivity and reality in revolutionary acts give confidence to the crowds.
Strong in its entity, hip hop cannot pass through without giving it attention or a listen. It is in its formation to impact, to shock, to aware, to explain, to describe and to plead…
Written by Hassane Dennaoui a.k.a. Big Hass revoltmag1@gmail.com
ON THE GO | Q&A RUBEN SANCHEZ
4. You’ve done a lot of workshops with the the youth. How important are these workshops for you? It’s is great to see people interested in graffiti, you can learn the technique, you can learn the history but actually in real life, you must learn and practice graffiti in the streets, and here is quite risky. 1. Was there something specific that triggered your passion to do Graffiti? I think it was my existing relationship with skateboarding, which took me to the streets at a very early age. I found the same freedom and opportunities in both. 2. Has your long stay in Dubai, UAE, influenced your graffiti style? Yes, in a way. I’ve been exploring the arab geometric patterns and local wildlife in some of my pieces during this past year. I’m using local wood and materials too, like old signages with arabic inscriptions, I love it, it looks quite exotic to me. 3. Who are three of your favorite graffiti artists in the Middle East? Those who are not afraid of breaking the rules.
5. What’s on the horizon for Ruben? I will keep exploring the Middle East, I love it. I have great projects coming up with Tashkeel for the city of Dubai. I will paint and travel as much as I can, I will reply my emails and I will try hard not to be an idiot. 6. Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you. I play flamenco guitar, El Seed is teaching me break-dance moves, I was a cat-wolf in my past life. [FOLLOW RUBEN SANCHEZ] http://www.iamrubensanchez.com https://www.facebook.com/roobo
FEATURE | SLEUTHER
[FOLLOW SLEUTHER] Twitter @thetpothead soundcloud.com/thetpot
Exclusive Q&A// SLEUTHER
FEATURE | SLEUTHER 1. How were you introduced to Hip-Hop? It happened in two ways. I remember the first rap song I really liked was the real slim shady on the Marshall Mathers LP Cassete that my Older Cousin RIP used to play when I was like 8. The comedy, profanity and wityness caught my attention. Just being honest. Then it’s all a blur untill like 2006 when It was the first time I travel by myself and I met a friend there and he had Changes and Only god can judge me by Tupac. also Stand tall by Ice Cube on his ipod. and that was It for me. Poetry x Music. 2. What does your name actually mean? it comes from the word Sleuth, which means detective. wrote it in a line once and realised thats what my music is about. the lyrics are like the notes I take on a pad that I carry in my investigations and moments of realisations in this mad mad world we live in. 3. How challenging is it being a rapper in Saudi? I find no challenge in making the music itself. the challenge comes when the people listen to your songs, and I bet you, if they did not know it was local, they would like it more. I still cannot comprehend that. I guess to these people the image and who makes these songs matter alot more than the song itself and its content. shame... 4. In your opinion, how do you see the scene in Saudi? In my opinion, it’s coming to life. Just needs wider acceptance from society and more exposure wether its events and open mics like Big Hass’s series “The Beat”, or like this rapper that became famous and got most of his fan base through one of the successful comedic shows al tmsa7. which uses the same concept of the mask but in another way so he could freely express his art. I prefer it the Old fashion way, music that gets people talking. Word to NFGRAM on that one. that brother inspires me. 5. Who were some of the people that influenced your music? When you ask me that I get blurry images of My father when I was younger, he used to play MJ, Sade, George Michael and Cheb Khalid on road trips. Then, later on just songs people that iv known and connected with every where I travel. 6. What sort of support are you getting from the Saudi community? Al hamdillah we’re getting support from the people who are intrested in it but would love it if they get more people Involved. It’s inevitable that we will get recognized. 7. Would you ever think to rap in Arabic? inshaAllah I will one day. I got it on my 5 year plan.
8. Tell us about your album “Presence” | What were the messages discussed in that album? Tell us about the track “Mind Frame” Presence is a personal tape. It has an overall mellow spacey vibe. i started writing at a point where I started learning alot of things about my self (if that makes any sense) if you look at the bigger picture it’s really just me drawing one huge painting that reflects what mattered to me at that point in my life and illustrating the world around me from my point of view. The kind of music you dont listen to with other people. Mind Frame is about my mind state at the time I was making the mixtape and I made it the first song on the tape because it illustrates everything I speak about in there in general. 9. What inspires you to rap? Life. My life, other people’s lives. Venting out my problems. History. Instrumentals. Unique young new artists and/or legends. 10. What are you currently working on? I’ve got a project comin up with Abz and Niniyaz. Abz set that one up. got one with NFGRAM. Then, I’ve got 3 EPs and Im the names are: A Time Like This. (the world at this moment in history) The Notepad. (Personal Project) Sleuth’s Watching. (Story telling) I’m finishing them up maxx by Eid. 11. Tell Re-Volt Magazine Something not a lot of people know about you. I write 90% of my music while I drive/walk. 12. Who are some of the rappers in Saudi that you listen to? Nfgram. Abz. Majeed Suave. Moh Flow. امه الضاد. Tim Granite. I try to listen to everyone so I can be involved as much as possible to know of any good new comers and where the bar was set. 13. What’s the purpose of wearing the mask? People care alot about how a rapper look and dress his “image” other than his music and the content within. its music. were musicians so listen/talk about the music or shut up. I also wanna remain anonymous so I can freely talk about subjects that are not so easy to talk about.
Interview by Hassane DENNAOUI a.k.a. Big Hass revoltmag1@gmail.com
ALBUM RELEASE | THE JOURNEY AFLAME
AKUA NARU | THE JOURNEY AFLAME
{ALBUM ARTWORK} Akua NARU ... the journey aflame [FOLLOW AKUA NARU] http://akuanaru.bandcamp.com/album/the-journey-aflame
MUSLIM POWER
30
What inspired you to launch Muslim Power 30? Would this be the only publication? I created this list for the sake of Allah, to show the world that we are making superb moves for our Ummah. There is so much negativity in the world I wanted to be the one to shed some light on what we do to help individuals kill their “egos� and realize that we all are working towards the same goal this will be a yearly magazine, but i will be traveling and meeting gathering stories on individuals that are doing great work and throughout the year I will trying to meet others and help them share their stokes, so the magazine will be once a year but the work and the gathering of information will be year long Hajji Hassan
2014
MUSLIMPOWER30 meet 30 muslims, from all walks of life, making moves to impact society and serve humanity
editor’s note
I have created this compilation of professional, creative, hardworking, and spiritual Muslims in an effort to spread love and positivity. I hope these features inspire everyone to be remarkable everyday. We should always reach for the impossible because the possiblities to help humanity are limitless. HASSAN “HAZALI” ABDUS-SALAAM
24 brother amir
or known as Amir Abdul-Shakur, is a popular rapper from Oakland, California has made a name for himself all across America. He is one half of the super group Medina. Amir is also a devoted father and husband to Nancy Abdul-Shakur. He is currently in the studio working on two albums simultaneously.
23 kristen santiago
CEO of her own company, Pink Bootz, a jewelry making company based in NYC. Her clientele includes stars like Idris Elba, Future, Ciara and many others. Her products are featured on the popular footwear site TekkiesBK.com. She is currently preparing to showcase her spring and summer pieces. Website: pinkbootznyc.com
22 miss undastood
or known as Tavasha Shannon, is one in her own lane. She is one of the first female Muslim hip-hop artists to hit the scene in the early 2000's. She has traveled the world sharing her talents with the people. Her last album "The Prequel,� was a compilation of her life experiences as a Muslimah in America.
21 asim sujud
is known across the United States for delivering emotional performances that help us reflect on our lives. He is an inspiration for to many men and fathers. Check out his banger "Kufi and Sunnah" on Youtube, which celebrates the practices of a Muslim.
20 najmah53
or known as Nichole Najmah Abhraham,is a talented wordsmith and hosts a plethora of events in our community. She is an inspiration for young Muslimahs across America. CEO of Najmah Designs graphic company. She is also currently in the studio with producer HAZali gearing up for her next spoken word compilation. Website: najmah53.com
19 denise cotton
is a Jazz vocalist, songwriter, and graduate of Stanford University. In 2011, she linked with producer HAZali and created her critically acclaimed debut album “The Glass Window.� It had over 10,000 downloads in over 6 months and was received exceptionally well by many record labels. Ms. Cotton is currently building a recording studio in NYC to host sessions for up and coming artists, as well as free sessions for inner-city kids.
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{ }يا أيها الناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكر وأنثى وجعلناكم شعوباً وقبائل لتعارفوا {Oh humankind, we have created you from a male and a female and made people and tribes so you may know each other} eL Seed calligraffiti at the minaret of Jara | Gabes, Tunisia
BOOK | Arabic Type Design for Beginners
ARABIC TYPE DESIGN FOR BEGINNERS AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDEBOOK This fully illustrated bilingual guidebook on Arabic type design is the result of a series of workshops organized by the Khatt Foundation, and hosted by Tashkeel in Dubai, in 2011 and 2012. It presents step-by-step instructions on the design principles and tools of Arabic type design, with detailed tutorials by some of the most renown specialists in the field of contemporary Arabic type design and calligraphy. In addition, it showcases the creative process through nine case studies of the fonts produced during these workshops, presenting them as sources of inspiration and examples for new and experimental Arabic typefaces.
Edited by: Huda Smitshuijzen-AbiFarès Authors: Huda Smitshuijzen-AbiFarès, Khajag Apelian, Lara Assouad-Khoury, Majid Al-Yousef, Yara Khoury-Nammour, Kristyan Sarkis, Wissam Shawkat, and Pascal Zoghbi Published by: Khatt Books (Amsterdam) and Tashkeel (Dubai) 2013 ISBN: 978 94 90939 00 7 Edition: Paperback. 17cm x 24cm, 240 pages highly illustrated in color and Black & White Languages: English & Arabic Price: € 37.50 To order your copy of browse through the book please click here to the publisher’s website http://www.khattbooks.com
LOCAL FLAVA’ | PEETA PLANET
[Announcement] Season 2: Peeta Planet will be written and directed by renowned filmmaker Suha Araj
MISSION PEETA PLANET
Bridging cultures through social media
For many people, travel means packaged deals and itineraries that cater to the masses. We are herded to major tourist attractions; we stay within sanitized environments and eat the same sterile restaurant and café food. If you are lucky, you might penetrate this bubble long enough to connect with a local person or two... maybe. The question is, how many of these tour packages have your personal name on it, besides the bill? Does mass tourism allow you to explore foreign cultures and places in the context of your own interests? Does it enable you to connect with like-minded locals? Does it allow you to discover the city’s best-kept secrets? Probably not. Mohammed & Peyman Parham Al Wadhi are two Emirati brothers that started the gourmet shawarma sandwich concept “Wild Peeta”. Through Wild Peeta, they shared their passion for gourmet shawarma sandwiches with people across the globe via social media.Continuing to dream big, the brothers embarked on another challenge by launching their own social TV show “Peeta Planet.”
LOCAL FLAVA’ | PEETA PLANET
How did you guys come up with the idea? We came up with the idea four years ago. We decided to take a vacation and let our social media followers decide the itinerary for our trip, including the country we would visit. What followed was the most meaningful trip we ever had because we were able to experience the country through the suggestions of locals, not tour operators.
it facilitates the launching process. Develop a solid plan that clearly explains your needs and try to be thrifty in yourexpenditure.Finally and most importantly, never give up! You launched a gourmet shawarma sandwich concept called ‘Wild Peeta’ | Tell us more about that? It’s the first of its kind concept and we plan to grow slowly on the national front. We’ve learned the hard way that great things take time. What has been the most eye-opening trip in your experience so far? Every country has been an amazing adventure because we experience it through the lens of social travelers.
What is your advice to the youth who have creative ideas but doesn’t have the financial support to get started? Make sure you are bringing an innovative idea to the market. We also highly recommend working with like-minded people who have a wealth of experience, as
What was the most shocking incident in your trips? We are not easily shocked, as social travelers we experience both the beauty and the imperfections of any place. You bridge cultures and bring in a new fresh concept to the Arab World. What is the message you would like to convey? Middle Eastern youth are not portrayed accurately across the world. As such, we are trying to show people that what unites us is a lot more than what separates us. We are actually more alike than different; we share similar values, fears and aspirations. Written by Hass Dennaoui Arabnews | 22 May 2013
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ASHEKMAN Street Artists 5mx2m Arabic calligraffiti featuring Feyrouz “Min Kalbi Salamonn li Beirut” - فيروز- ””من قلبي سالم لبيروت https://www.facebook.com/ASHEKMAN Twitter @ASHEKMAN Instagram @ASHEKMAN
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Mazen Al Shamrani (Graffiti Artist) The Beat \\ The Heart Jeddah | KSA
YOUR MONTHLY SOURCE OF REAL HIP-HOP CULTURE A mic, a choreography, a vocal percussion, spraypaint, a vinyl record, a book or a film... We choose all the above. The power of the word to inform, to represent and to stay real! If you’re interested to write for re-volt magazine
email us revoltmag1@gmail.com
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Ibrahim HAMDI | Arabic Type Design https://www.facebook.com/ProtypeTypeFoundry | https://www.behance.net/ibro_O
ALBUM RELEASE | FAREEQ EL ATRASH
‘AL MAWJEH EL TARSHA | FAREEQ EL ATRASH Fareeq el Atrash Logo | designed by Omar Khouri Album cover | designed by Farah Fayyad The entire album ’al mawjeh el tarsha FOR FREE on Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/fareeqelatrash/sets/fareeq-el-atrash-al-mawjeh-el [FOLLOW FAREEQ EL ATRASH] www.facebook.com/Fareeq.el.Atrash
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Artwork by Mazen Al Shamrani (Graffiti Artist)
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“Sara Attar” by Shaweesh | Saudi Street Artist Twitter @Shaweesh_