ISSUE 16 • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER ’15
YOUR MONTHLY DOSE OF REAL HIP HOP & ARAB 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
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CONTENTS REVOLT/REPORT KHALEEJI VOICE HIP-HOP IN SAUDI ARABIA (PART 1) 7ESSAN FEATURE MOSEQAR MAZZI MONSTARIAM HASSAN HAJJAJ MOUAD ABOULHANA EDD ABBAS CHYNO ELEPHEEL LOCAL FLAVA’ DESERT DESIGNS YOMIKU BUFIFTY Q8 STREET ART SPOT.F.Y.I JAHANAMIYA NORAH BINLADIN FROP & MUSO SOUP FOR SYRIA (BOOK) ASIR: SAND IN AN HOURGLASS CORINNE MARTIN ASHRAF GHORI CARTOONS KHARTOON! ON THE GO Q&A | NARCY & THE RISE Q&A | STORMTRAP Q&A | YOUSEF AL-BAGSHI Q&A | DJ OUTLAW Q&A | RAED AL-MURISH Q&A | LOBITO BRIGANTE Q&A | OD OD
Cover Artwork by Moroccan Contemporary Artist MOUAD ABOULHANA [Follow Mouad Aboulhana]
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Jahanamiya is an online creative writing magazine that publishes writing by Saudi women and artwork by local artists. The magazine seeks to learn from the experiences of Saudi women, and to celebrate the diversity of Saudi culture.
FEATURE | MONSTARIAM
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FEATURE | MONSTARIAM What does the name Monstariam refer to? How did you come up with the name? The name stands for Monstar I am , the name was given to me by an eight year old girl that walked into my office 6 years ago and said Monstar really loud, that name stuck with me since. The girl and I became good friends Was there a special moment that inspired you to become a graffiti artist? The day I ran out of paper, my walls at home seemed so lonely and empty, But it all started at the age of 13 when i used to hang out with the wrong crowd and I used to watch them create amazing things from a spray can
Collaboration is a very important word. How much is it important to collaborate with other artists in the region? Its very important , You will never grow unless you start collaborating with people, I encourage it as much as possible, I am trying to show the youth that its a good thing and you can learn so many things from it
You are currently based in Kuwait, how is the local art scene there & especially the graffiti scene? The scene here is growing, not as fast, but I am pushing for it to go faster. Do you get support from corporations? Media? Blogs? I do , and I really thank my supporters for what they are doing, their feedback and support motivates to create more and more everyday Graffiti is an element of Hip-Hop culture. Whose your favourite hip-hop artist & why? Thats a hard question, Usually people start off saying RUN DMC, but I started with Beastie boys and TRIBE CALLED QUEST , but my all time favorite is Jurrasic 5 You have been part of many events in the region. How do you view the upcoming graffiti talents in Arabia? They are growing and improving fast, No doubt my Saudi Brothers are amazing and always impressing us I would say graffiti culture is sinkin in Arabia; but nevertheless there are still some people that think its vandalism. Have you faced any issues/problems with the authorities in Kuwait while working? I was arrested multiple times so far, but luckily I do everything legally , since I have been in the branding and design field for 19 years, it gave me all the tips to stay ahead of the game and do it right. This region is just learning and discovering street art and thats why we should not give up in teaching them what its all about.
Your T-Shirts designs are incredible. How’s that going for you guys? Its going really well actually , but I had to put it on pause because I am relaunching it again in January and this time with a Monstar Bang. There is a possiblity that the name might change for the clothing line. I know its a question you get asked a lot; BUT, among the great work you have done; which 2 would you pick as your favourite? The one I did in Bahrain and Lebanon with my BROS Ashekman , Its not about the finished piece I learned its about the adventure and people I met on the way DO you have a spot/place you wish to work on? (anywhere in the world) there are two places actually , one is Palestine and the other one is your studio , hahaha If you could collaborate with any graffiti artists in the world,who would it be? I cried when I read this , but I would love to Collaborate with 123klan Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you I am a human being, I do what I love and I always remind myself that the best thing you can make people do is smile .
FEATURE | MONSTARIAM
FEATURE | MONSTARIAM
FEATURE | MOSEQAR
1. Let’s start with your full name, what do you do and where are you currently based? Ok, my name is Mohamed Said Ziena, and I’m currently just working on music at the moment and I’m based in Cairo, Egypt - my hometown. 2.When did you get inspired to start producing? I was about 17-18 years old when it all started. I was in a rap group with two of my best friends and we just got to a point where we wanted to create our own sound instead of looking for reused beats online. So, I started making beats, which led me to remixing and eventually inspired me to create my own original music.
[FOLLOW MOSEQAR] https://www.facebook.com/MoseqarZ http://soundcloud.com/moseqar
3.You’re currently based in Egypt. Does the fact that you were between Canada and Egypt help you become the producer you are now? I think it makes me more of the person I am today; I guess going back and forth has definitely developed my knowledge in a few things but, I’d say it’s just who I am. I’ve always been a fan of art in general ever since I was a child so, I don’t necessarily think it has to do with being in-between two countries. 4.Who are some of your favorite musicians and producers? I listen to a whole bunch of different stuff. I’m not the type of person who just sticks to one particular genre. I listen to everything ranging from heavy synths and arps from the 80’s to orchestral work. Some of my favorite artists are Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Beyonce and Ludovico Einaudi, as for producers, Timbaland, Mark Ronson, Rick Rubin, and Pharrell are a few.
FEATURE | MOSEQAR
5.Who are you currently listening to? I’m currently listening to: Rhodes, Blackbear, The Weekend, J cole, Kehlani & Jack U. 6.You love making cinematic music, was your music featured in any film? (We really think it should be!) Yes, I love working on cinematic music, it just takes me to different places. My track “Escape” was actually featured in a Russian film last year and I also had the chance to work with Youtube pioneer Kev Jumba on his last video. A few other works are still in discussion for 2015, we’ll just have to see how that plans out. 7.You have remixed a lot of great hits; which one was your favorite? That’s a tough one, I remember hearing Kat Dahlia’s version of “Say Something” for the first time and I was immediately inspired and drawn to create something out of it. I think it took me less than a week to finish it but, it’s close to 500k plays so, overall it was a success! People could relate to it same way I did. 8.Do you approach every song you want to mix differently? Or you have the same approach to all? (In terms of mixing) The process is always different every time, it’s never a step by step guide to what I want to accomplish. The experimental/creative aspect does play a role in the process but, sometimes I might have a rough idea in my head and when I actually start executing this idea it could potentially evolve into the complete opposite of what I had in mind so, it’s just a matter of being creative and coming up with new ideas in the process. 9.One can get hooked to your Soundcloud! What has been the most listened-to track till now? Thank you, I guess there’s a bit of everything for everyone. The most listened to track till now is my Adele (Café Session) of (Someone Like You). It was my first session for this side project and sort of my introduction to the Arab region. It basically went viral when I put it out back in 2013 and it has over 3 million plays till now.
10.Do you collaborate/work with local and/or regional artists? Yes, I’m always down to collaborate and support talented artists from the region, I collaborated with Malak El Husseiny in 2014 on her “Alters EP” and have a few other collaborations in the works for 2015 yet to be announced.
12.Who are some of your favourite Hip-Hop artists? These are some of them but, the list goes on... J Cole, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, Nas, Snoop, Common, Jay Z and Biggie of course!
11.You have remixed Biggie and Um Kolthoum - which got a lot of buzz in the US media. What was the inspiration behind that mix? Was it challenging? Biggie is one of my favorite rappers of all time and I’ve always wanted to work on something using his vocals. The idea of sampling Arabic oldies has definitely been in my head for a long time but, I was always hesitant about how I could execute this concept. When I hit 40K followers on Soundcloud, I made it happen. I had Biggie spit his raps, Um Kolthoum did justice with her vocals, and the rest was history, people thought it was fresh.
13.Tell us about some techniques you use while remixing? I consider my music to be very dreamlike and spacey so, I like to reverb/reverse a lot of my material. I also like to change the pitch of the vocals I’m using at times, also chopping up samples to come up with different patterns and tones is something I enjoy doing. Finding movie dialogue or quotes relatable to the music I’m making are sort of like bits and pieces to the puzzle, I think it definitely adds to it.
FEATURE | MOSEQAR
14.You have produced a lot of great tracks, which one was your favorite & why? My latest track “I still need u” is one of my favorites so far, it’s a bit different from my previous releases and is more beat oriented but, it’s uplifting, emotional, and at the same time still blends in with my original sound. I threw in a string quartet at the very end of it to give that cinematic feel, so I think it’s a very powerful and motivational piece.
16.What are you currently working on now? I’m always working on different projects and always go back to work on any unfinished material. I have a couple of collaborations with local artists coming up soon and hopefully music for a film is in the works so, stay tuned for that.
18.What is your dream? My dream is to change the music scene and provide an alternative to mainstream music. I want my art to take people to different places; make them think and feel the same way I feel when I’m creating it. I’d love to play my pieces with a live orchestra someday. Music is an inspiration to me and I hope I can reach and inspire people one way or another.
15.What are your thoughts on the underground music scene in Egypt right now? It has obviously changed over the past few years; I think more people are accepting underground music and are rooting for it more than they did before which, is always a positive change from mainstream music. I predict it will get even bigger if more festivals are launched and if local media and music supporters start promoting these artists on a basis.
17.Are you getting support from the local media? I have received support from local media but, I wish there were more music based blogs in the region who follow up with the artists and are always on the look up to find new music, latest news, and support the scene regularly.
19.Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you Well, as I said before, I’m a fan of art in general not just music. I design/create all the art covers shown on my music and I also designed the cover of my first EP “Daydream”.
Lama Khatib Daniel Art Page
REVOLT/REPORT | HIP HOP IN SAUDI ARABIA
hip hop
in Saudi Arabia (Part I) by Tim Granite When I was initially asked to write an article about the Hip-Hop scene in Saudi Arabia, I was a bit perplexed as ‘how to proceed?’ I asked Big Hass, about his magazine’s demographic makeup and was surprised to learn that about fifty percent of his readership came from the United States. As a Canadian that has traveled extensively throughout the United States and lived in Texas for about a year, I thought back to how many Americans view Saudi Arabia.
[FOLLOW TIM GRANITE] Tim Granite is an ESL instructor, teacher, writer, and eldest member of the multi-national Hip-hop group Run Junxion. https://twitter.com/TimGranite https://instagram.com/TimGranite/ Email: Tim.Granite@gmail.com
In more liberal circles, Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest petroleum provider, trade partner, and America’s regional ally in the ‘War on Terror’. To neo-conservative toadies, rednecks, bigots and propagandists (especially at Fox News), Saudi Arabia is: ‘a hotbed for terrorism. It’s a backwards country that hates America and Americans, chops off people’s heads, oppresses women, and was responsible for the 9/11 attacks.’ To the average American that I met, Saudi Arabia was a country full of oil, violence, camels, and people that wear towels on their heads because of the extreme heat. ‘Oh yeah, and women can’t drive there right?’ They know it’s somewhere in the Middle East and therefore, dangerous and in constant turmoil. I admit to sharing some of these misconceptions before moving to Saudi Arabia over ten years ago.
REVOLT/REPORT | HIP HOP IN SAUDI ARABIA
Not all Americans share these views of Saudi Arabia and the Middle East however. On Saturday, June 6th 2015, Saudi Arabia’s first and only, nationally broadcasted Hip Hop program called ‘Laish Hip-Hop?’ (Why Hip-Hop?) on Mix FM and hosted by Big Hass, had the American Hip-Hop legend Chino XL on his radio program. At the end of the interview(1), Big Hass asked Chino XL: Big Hass: Any last words you’d like to say to the Arab World? A lot of people are tuning in from Egypt, Lebanon, the whole of Saudi Arabia is tuning in and a lot of people from the US and Europe are tuning in as well. It’s crazy sir! What do you tell them? Chino XL: There is a lot of love, admiration and respect for that part of the world. And we do not believe what they try to tell us on T.V. We are more sophisticated than that. We know you guys (in the Arab world) are just like us. We know that we are just like you. That we grew up wanting to feed our families. We grew up with a lot of love. We grew up trying to understand the sciences of life and never think for a minute that we’re fooled into not loving you guys. Ever. Ever. When I moved to Saudi Arabia I was shocked to discover how many American restaurants, clothing stores, brand names, large companies, coffee shops and just about everything you can think of were already here and making huge profits. For a people that are advertised as ‘hating Americans and the American way of life’, I saw the reality was drastically different than the American neo-con pundits are advertising. While Saudi Arabia is a country that admittedly has many problems that we cannot go into here, this ‘Anti-American’ or ‘Anti-Western’ ideology is so sparse that its mention is almost an exaggeration. Especially when held in contrast with a country that is supposedly 239 years old and born out of its genocide of its original indigenous inhabitants. America was built on the bodies of its former slaves. The families of these
former slave-masters are still rich and powerful. Black people have never been given reparations for slavery. Police, to this day are still murdering black men and women with reckless abandon, and they are not alone. White people are also killed albeit to a far less degree. Racial profiling, hate crimes, illegal spying on Muslims, and civilians being stripped of their rights are at an all time high. Not to mention a failed foreign policy, the unwavering support for Israel’s naked terrorism against the Palestinians and much, much more. America is not in any moral position to preach liberty, freedom, democracy, justice or fairness to us or anyone. Approximately 40 years ago, the Bronx gave birth to an American art form that has changed and is continuing to change the world in so many ways - some of these ways for the better and some, admittedly, for the worse. That art form is called ‘Hip-hop’. That is not to say that there are not other religions, persons, arts, or ideologies that too, have and continued to impact our world, but to deny Hip-hop’s influence on the world in its current state is naïve. Like it or hate it, Hip-hop is almost ubiquitous and its influence does not seem to be waning any time soon. In this series, we will look at Hip-hop in Saudi Arabia specifically, and also look at the region in general. Is there Hip-hop in Saudi Arabia? What is its history and culture? Who are the artists? What challenges do they face? How are Hiphop artists perceived in a conservative society? What is their future? and much more. We hope our readers, wherever they are from, will join us is on this multi-cultural, historical journey to a land few know about and aid us in bridging and understanding this influential and powerful art-form by interacting and asking questions. Thank-you for reading. (1) For the full interview BIG HASS x CHINO XL https://soundcloud.com/big_hass-1/big-hass-interviewschino-xl-on-laishhiphop-live-on-mix-fm-saudi-arabia
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FEATURE | MAZZI
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Mazzi S.O.U.L. Purpose) Hip-Hop: The Sense Of Understanding Life
1. What inspired you to become a Hip-Hop artist? Well Hip Hop as a culture wasn’t something I was introduced to. I grew up in the New York Metropolitan area where this all started. So Hip Hop was around me since I can remember. I started off dancing as many of us did. I started rapping at around 13. I did it as an outlet and way to express myself. It allowed me to vent aggression, ideologies, etc... And rapping is like a sport out here! So it was a competitive thing that a lot of us did. Goups/MC’s who directly influenced to keep writing in the beginning were Brand Nubian (first & foremost ), Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, Gang Starr, & Boogie Down Productions...
2.How do you see the state of Hip-Hop now? The state of Hip Hop sucks but is cool at the same time.There’s a lot of wack garbage out there, BUT a good amount of quality music aswell. One just has to dig to find it! Due to the internet, an artist can expand worldwide much faster and have crazy reach! BUT that also leaves room for a bunch of unprepared weak sh** and delusional rappers... 3. Whoever seen you perform LIVE, they can tell you’re very passionate about what you do. What does performing LIVE mean to you? Listen I’m very humble with my craft but when I step on that stage, THAT sh** is MINE! It’s my element! I don’t care who came on before me or will be on after me. I own that stage! It’s me and the crowd! They will get 100% of my soul! I don’t care if it’s 10 or 10,000 people. Energy, authenticity, conviction, engagement, and having fun!
FEATURE | MAZZI
4. What has been the highlight of your journey till now? I have a few highlights:: • Working with the youth in Palestine, spreading Hip Hop culture to them, and performing for them. • Large Professor, Raekwon, and Pharoahe Monch telling me I was dope! • People coming up to me and thanking me for my music and what it did for them. That sh** is priceless! • This one might be funny to some but it was dope to me: I did back up dancing for a live Big Daddy Kane show. • Cyphering with Canibus and fellow peers in NYC for about 5 hours! • Being in the same rap talent show as Big Pun before he blew up. • Signing my first deal as an artist! • Seeing my CD in major recod stores! • Meeting and building w/Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Herc, and DJ Premier for the first time. Oh my God! There’s so many more! Those are just some...
7. Do you believe Radio Play is as important as it was before? Radio is not as important, cause it’s not the sole controller anymore. But, it IS still a needed pillar amongst other existing mediums. 8. Describe these names with ONE word : LL Cool J: GOAT Chuck D: Revolutionary RUN DMC: Trailblazers Kool G Rap: Raw Kendrick Lamar: Promising Drake: Clever Eminem: Beast Lil Wayne: Annoying!!! J Dilla: Refreshing 9.If you want to introduce someone to your music. Which 3 tracks would you give them to get a full picture of how you sound like? I’m gonna have to give you a lucky 7: “Love Is Love”, “Dirt All By My Lonely”, “Good Feeling”, “Preposition”, “Piece”, “Our Sand”, “Keep Movin” 10. Who are your favourite producers? Premier, Timbaland, Large Professor, and Malay 11. What is the music scene like in Iran, especially the #HipHop scene? Alot of the HipHop music in Iran is underground. It doesn’t sit too well with the government all the time. But the music scene as a whole, has so many talented musicians/artists! We come from a long line of artistic pioneers (poetry, art, music, calligraphy, architecture, literature, etc...) 12.Where is your dream performing stage? Madison Square Garden
5. Who are your favourite Arab MC’s? I’m a fan of Shadia Mansour, DAM, Boycott, Narcy, Arabian Knights, Eslam Jawaad, Omar Offendum, Malikah, Khaled M... They’re all fam! 6. Who can we find on Mazzi’s MP3 player? I’m not really a play list type dude. I’ll listen to the radio and check the blogs for new rap music. Then dig into the stash for my old school/throwback fix. I try to listen to as many new joints as possible and give everything a chance...
13. What are you currently working on? I have a bunch of projects coming down the pipeline: “Meeting RLS” EP, unnamed project produced by Harry Fraud, and another unnamed project produced by Young Guru (to name a few) 14. Tell Re-Volt Magazine somethin not a lot of people know about MAZZI Hmm... I love cartoons and comic books! And though I have a grocery list of injuries, I’ll still jump on that basketball court and put in work!
REVOLT/BOOK | KHALEEJI VOICE
[FOLLOW KHALEEJI VOICE] https://tothearabianstreet.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/To-the-Arabian-Street/234212240064723 https://instagram.com/the_khaleeji_voice/
KHALEEJI VOICE In the past few decades the Middle East has attracted an intense focus from the Media, both for its dynamism and its turmoil. But the Gulf region, if not completely ignored, is usually depicted as a few extravagant cities of world renown. Deeply misunderstood by the West, the GCC countries suffer from persistent stereotypes, which never consider the local Youth. Noting this state of affairs, two French nationals, Melchior de Tinguy, a fine art photographer, and Quentin de Pimodan, a writer, decided to undertake a journey that would capture some of the aspirations of this youth. Traveling the GCC countries and focusing on the peculiar urban art scene they met with young artists, expats and locals, who are pushing the boundaries and shedding light on the region. At a crossroads between traditional heritage and a young and vibrant culture, these artists gave firsthand testimonies of their intense experiences and moving hopes. Melchior and Quentin met with several artists in each country, artists they believe could play the role of flag bearers for an as yet, undefined youth. During the journey Melchior and Quentin met with more than twenty artists who agreed to open their doors and allow the duo into their lives and share their passion through interviews as well as four carefully-chosen photographs conveying powerful messages.
Melchior used a large format camera through which size, quality and lens allow the public to witness the realities of each moment to its truest. During this process Melchior spent valuable time with each artist in order to fully grasp their environment along with their mind-set. For each artist a personal portrait is taken as well as a photograph of them in production. In addition to this Melchior asked the artists to take him to their favorite place in their homeland which he then reflected through astonishing cityscapes from the standpoint of the artists themselves. Finally, an even further dialogue emerges between the reader and the artists thanks to one last image, called the ‘texture’, a beautifully composed snapshot into the artist’s personal environment. The result is not a catalog of regional artists but a depiction of several artistic lives. The book series is proof that despite geographical distance and cultural differences, the youth of the world is moved by common codes and similar passions. Photographs and text both aim to break the down the barriers between a modern youth that share much more than expected. Trust and mutual respect have led to undying friendships enabled by shared visions from a common generation. Despite the many challenges the region is currently facing, its future is in responsible hands.
WHAT’S UP ARABIA!
FEATURE | HASSAN HAJJAJ
حسن حجاج HASSAN HAJJAJ
Moroccan-born UK-based Contemporary Artist
[FOLLOW HASSAN HAJJAJ] https://www.facebook.com/hassanhajjajart
FEATURE | HASSAN HAJJAJ
1.You have a very unique beautiful style that captures the soul. How did all this evolve?This is probably due to growing up in Morocco and London. 2. How would you describe your photography?For all the people.
9. Canadian Artist The Narcicyst used your work as his album artwork (World War Free Now) How was it working with him? It was great to share this moment, together, and what I liked most was it all happened so naturally.
3. Growing up, what inspired you? Art, film, music, travel, food, people, clubs, happy and sad life. 4. How do you see the local art scene in Morocco? It is still young, but up and coming... It definitely needs more attention, nurturing and education. 5.You use your photography to address messages such as Equality, Feminism.. How can someone use their art to highlight a message to the people? How important is that? It is very important as each artist should have their story to tell. 6. Between Design, Film, and Photography, which one is closest to your heart? PHOTOGRAPHY. 7. I personally discovered your work when you launched the ‘My Rock Stars Experimental’. Tell us about that series? My rock stars series is about friends around me who inspire me, who are passionate about what they do. It can be a boxer, a designer, henna boy or a musician. They are my rockstars! 8.Your “Kesh Angels” series is epic. How has the feedback been on that? Honestly, it was more than I expected!
10. Who are some of the musicians you advise our readers to listen to? What kind of music you listen to? I listen to all genres of music. It is just like food, there is so much out there but here are some: Hindi Zahra, Marques Toliver, Aswad,
Jose James, Gnawa Music, Gnawa Impulse, U Roy, Komy, Weatherreport, Asymuth, Olodum, Tribe Called Quest, Earnest Ranglin, Mukhtar Samba, Bob Marley, Mopp Deep, Black Moon, Heltah Skelter, Rakim, Red Man, Smifwessun, John Coltrane, Oum Kultum.
FEATURE | HASSAN HAJJAJ
11. What were the best and worst comments you ever received? This comment came from one of my icons FIVE FAB FREDDY: [“Great to meet, hang out and party together at your wonderful exhibit last Friday. I really like your work and understand the ghetto style and flavor you captured in that series.”] And the harshest one came from the net saying that the women from the ‘Kesh Angles’ series should not be riding bikes due to the fact that they are Muslim and wearing traditonal clothes.
12. What are you currently working on? I am working on a couple of solo shows for next year in New York and Dubai. 13. Do you have any thoughts idea on Art in Saudi Arabia? There are some amazing artists from Saudi Arabia that people don’t know about. 14. Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you. That would be telling... :)
REVOLT/REPORT | 7essan حسان ّ
7essan
ح س ا ّ ن
Written by Karmel [FOLLOW KARMEL] Twitter @KarmelPal paldiary.tumblr.com
Lmoutchou got to be one my favourite Moroccan rap artists. I have been listening to him for at least six years. He is lyrically acclaimed with words that are heavy, coming straight from the streets. There is no doubt that he is a talented artist. His sound can be described as original, especially with the chosen subjects, but at the same time loyal to the origins of Hip Hop. It is a raw sound, right to your face. It is a success in translating Hip Hop to Arabic. The attitude is definitely there. The instrumentals are funky. I mean you can hear that the music is inspired by the 70’s and 60’s, just like these rap songs that force you with a sick baseline to bump your head. Lmoutchou is not a radio or a mainstream artist. He would talk about subjects that radios are not willing to be associated with, such social problems. He is an underground artist, who is able to spit rhymes with different styles and an untouchable flow. The best example is his Arabic cover(1)of break ya neck by Busta Rhymes. I would say, from my humble opinion, that his sound is a wide range and a mixture of different rap legends. On multiple occasions, I could draw some similarities with the Wu-Tang Clan but with an Arabic flow. In addition, he is able to deliver work of different colours, whether comedy, drama, story-telling, and/or revolutionary. I have noticed that he has a tendency to have a New York style, especially when it comes to his choice of instrumentals. Listening to him, I can only imagine a grim face, timbs, and hoodies.
As was aforestated, Lmoutchou is not a radio artist. In other words, he does not seem to follow a formula to become a mainstream entertainer. It seems like he is a true fan of his own style. He does not go with a trend just to sell more. Matter of fact, it appears that he releases what makes him feel proud, and his last release is an example of his unique creativity. His new work is entitled Hassan(2) حسان ّ ﭨ This song is a bit different from what I have listened to from Lmoutchou. A lay back instrumental is what caught my attention right away with repetitive and smooth guitar riff, an undeniably smooth uninterrupted flow, and no chorus, so you know it is about what the artist is saying and not only a good sound. It sounded more like it is coming from the west coast than from New York. It reminded me of Tupac’s To Live and Die in LA. Hassan is a song that talks about the adolescence of a guy, a projection of Lmoutchou’s adolescence, in his neighbourhood, Hassan, in the capital of Morocco, Rabat. It is a character that you, especially as a kid from this city, would relate to it, whether with your own or one of your peers’ experience. Lmoutchou talks about the city itself where he lists places and takes pride in his own neighbourhood. He talked about things that were done by a wide range of kids in the 90’s like specific songs bumping in the streets, dance moves, pool playing, skipping classes: The simple things. I have to give it up to Lmoutchou. The song is very nostalgic. It makes you look back and reminisce on simpler times. It is a Hip Hop track because it is personal.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Desert Designs
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Q&A Raneen Bukhari
1. Desert Designs space is one of the best positive vibes spots in Khobar. Tell us a little bit more about it? and how long have you guys been doing this? Desert Designs is my parents brainchild. They started it in 1990, during the war, and have been growing ever since. I grew up on the floors of the store and fell in love with the process.
2.You support local talent/designers by having their items in display at Desert Designs. How important is that for you? & how has the feedback from the people purchasing those local items? Having a space like ours gives us opportunity and responsibility. We must support the local talents and give them a nurturing space to showcase and sell their products. Designing is not yet seen as a viable job for a lot of people. We need to change that. The feedback has been amazing. People are very interested in spending on something made and designed locally, by young Arab designers. Social media helps with marketing them.
3. Mashalla, you’re very well associated with the local art/design scene in Saudi. What’s your view on the current art scene in Saudi? The art scene in Saudi is still at its early stages. If we compare it to international art history, “saudi” art has only been around for 50 odd years. We need more art and design schools and majors and more art funding INSIDE Saudi Arabia. There are so many self made and self taught designers and artists, and that is wonderful, but imagine if they had a discipline to support them as well. We would be so far beyond.
4. Our Co-Founder “Big Hass” spoke at “HunaArt” earlier this year and had a great time telling his story. Tell us about HunaArt.What is it? How was the idea born? & what can we expect in the near future? Huna Art is a platform Najla Abdullah and I started two years ago. We are now a big team! We created
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Desert Designs
it as an educational platform to learn more about other aspects of art that we don’t know much about. We started with inviting different people from different artistic backgrounds to our meetings, which were held in Desert Designs. Then people started asking for the platform to speak about their topic. We do curate it to a certain level, but so far we have never said no to anyone to talk at our gatherings. The whole point is to have a discussion and to learn, not just listen. In the near future we will launch out website, where you can learn about us and other activities happening in the region. We will also have plans to do trips and visits to events, studios, and other artistic locations. Hopefully, more people will adapt the concept and do it in different areas. We are willing to help them as well.
8. If you would mention to our readers 5 Saudi Designers/Artists that you would recommend. Who would they be? @yusefalahmad @7ossin @Waphee @sarahalabdaliart @alhusseiniramah 9. Do you believe Art is stronger than Politics? As a message, yes. As heart, yes. As hope, yes. As a power to change, no. 10. Being the wife of Hisham Fageeh. He has recently left Telfaz11. What is he currently working on? All will be revealed soon.
5. What type of music are you into? & who are some of your favorite artists? I am into music. All music. I can’t discriminate, I’ve heard so much beauty in all genres. The teenager in me in still in absolute love with Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Radiohead, they will always be my number one. Right now I am really into SZA, Heems, Childish Gambino, Frank Ocean, Lianne La Havas, SBTRKT, Mashrou Leila, Omar Offendum, The Narcicyst, Tinariwen, The XX, and Yasmine Hamdan. 6. What’s your dream? To never see violence. For children to never feel the fear for their lives, homes, fear for what their next meal will be. I do not want war. 7.When it comes to Hip-Hop, do you have a favorite hip-hop artists in Saudi? No.
11. In your experience. What has been the best Art Exhibition done in Saudi & why? Being biased, @Loudart. Being unbiased, Mollaqat at 21,39. 12. Where do you see the Art scene in Saudi Arabia in the next 5 years? In a utopian view, I’d like to see artists collaborating with each other on shows and projects. Breaking the mold, opening discussions to what is considered taboo. Being more brave and more independent of galleries. 13.Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about Raneen Bukhari. My family is Indian!
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FEATURE | MOUAD ABOULHANA
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How would you describe your style? My style is pure Moroccan Pop art and when we say Morocco, it is in fact a large melting-pot of cultures and traditions, from the Berber, the Arabs to Islam and international modernity. So, you can say that my style is a mix of all these beautiful influences. What are the techniques you use? For me, techniques always evolve as your art matures! From graphic art using different inks on paper, to street art and painting on the walls of Medina of Tangier (North of Morocco), using stencils and spray paint. It is only three years ago that I started experimenting with digital art by mixing illustrations and images.
Mouad Aboulhana (Moroccan Pop Art) ‘A diamond in the rough’
Can you tell us how you ended up being an artist? Was it something you in always knew you were or did it come to you later in life? In my career, nothing was ever easy. Nothing happens without a dream or a set goal. In my humble beginnings, my problems were mostly financial: how to get money to finance my art, my travels, my material and products, also communication and to be able to promote my work. Initially, I had to work for free in order to be able to showcase my creations. I registered in an educational center, to be a high school art teacher. They sent me to a far city called Taza, which is 900 km (all night on train) away from the big cities like Casablanca, Marrakech and Tanger. The distance and weariness from the long travels didn’t make me give up on my dreams. I would travel all night to Casablanca for the day and go back to Taza the next day to teach the kids. After 2 years of coming and going, I started receiving emails and messages from galleries, concept stores and events, inviting me to showcase my art and even sell it!In some cases, I did live painting sessions and even worked on space installations and decoration. Right now I feel like a young contemporary artist infatuated with pop art, and hopefully, one day I’ll be on the A-list, among the masters and famous ones.
FEATURE | MOUAD ABOULHANA
‘Tarbouch Kid’ by Mouad Aboulhana
FEATURE | MOUAD ABOULHANA
What was the first artwork you saw that caught your attention & until now its a source of inspiration? The Marilyn Monroe portrait by Andy Warhol. It was a source of inspiration, a source of simplicity and complication at the same time. I learnt so many things from that collection.
What are the top 3 highlights of your career to this date? Being a reflection of my society, being brave, and presenting thought-provoking and shocking ideas/artwork with total respect towards all sanctities. What kind of music do you listen to? And do you listen to music while working? Yes, I love listening to classic rock like Scorpions, Tuareg music like Tinariwen, and sometime Gnawa, Mogwai, Dubstep What are your thoughts on the art scene in Morocco? We, the artists of this generation are trying to reach out to a wider and international audience. We are merely a group of traditional artisans, but with a modern and contemporary spirit! The Art scene in Morocco is becoming more open-minded, but there are no laws nor rights for artists. Art in Morocco needs more nurturing and people to invest and believe in its potential. I can say that the artists work with 5% of Moroccans and 10% of Foreigners live in Morocco, and our public is yearning for local authentic creative minds and more original art.
Tell us about the “Tarbouch Kid” artwork? What does it represent? Tarbouch Kid is a symbol for pure Berber-ArabMuslim personality. This kid represents me in so many ways, he represents the community. Sometimes people ask “Why he is sad?” but in reality he is not sad at all; maybe he is shy, or simply tired because life in our society is hard. Also, kids are never two-faced, they always say the truth! Technically, the character was taken from a smart perspective and angle: his clothes are simple with his red Fez Cap and in the background, a Zellige mosaic. What was the most challenging artwork you ever did? The ‘Guerrab Trooper’ painting on wood. The hardest thing about it was brainstorming and looking for thought-provoking and shocking concepts and ideas. Also, an important part of the final process is having the courage to show it. It took more a little over a month to finalize it!
Do you ever have any political messages translated into your art? Not too much but I leave hints. I try to take the people away from the stress of life. I like to highlight the things that they never pay attention to it in their daily life. Actually, most of my Art is comical, even though sometimes I might insinuate otherwise.
FEATURE | MOUAD ABOULHANA
Your Daft Punk artwork is incredible. take us through the process of creating it? It’s an updated version of the first artwork called Daft Kamanja created it in 2011 for the Kahenas concept store. The light-bulb moment to improve that artwork happened in the middle of a discussion with my friend Amr Sabra, who loves Gnawa music and who, each month, organizes an event called ‘’The Pages’’ in Casablanca. I thought about adding a second character via illustration (the black helmet) and that enlightening discussion with my friend inspired me to include Gnawa clothes and the music instrument called Guembri. Three consecutive nights of work and and the artwork was ready!
Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you I can honestly say that Re-volt Mag is the first media outlet to ever contact me from the Middle east and Arab region. Second, I will be visiting Dubai very soon, for an exhibition and it will be my first time in the region!
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Street Art in Jeddah
LOCAL FLAVA’ | YOMIKU
[FOLLOW YOMIKU] http://yomiku.flavors.me/ https://twitter.com/yomiku7 https://instagram.com/yomiku/
Saudi Manga and Anime Illustrator
1. Talk to us about your nickname “Yomiku”. Where did it come from? Yomiku is the first character I ever created “my persona” if you may, and it literally mean: Child of the Bow or Child of the Book as for “I’m a 5th of December child” - it was a name that my friends used to call me since I was really into Japanese anime and manga. The name should’ve been Yumiko but when I was young I never looked up the correct spelling of the name, and thank god I didn’t because it became more unique this way!
2. When did you discover your passion for Anime illustrations? When my parents first introduced me to old animes like Future Boy Conan, Moomins, Plawres Sanshiro and many more classic animes, I wanted to make my own character appear in these animes so bad so I started drawing my own original characters! While I kept drawing them, I decided why not make my own story and plot! That was what started it from that time when I was an 8 year old girl till now and where I am now as - an officially recognized character designer, animator and manga maker in my country and social sites.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | YOMIKU
3. Who are some of the Arab Illustrators that have inspired you? Unfortunately, at the time I started to get into drawing, I was more into Japanese and other international websites, where I had never met any Arab before. But to me, inspiration cannot be gained by another artist only. So, I find inspiration in everything and anything around me without the help of other artists artwork because I highly believe that nothing is more inspiring than the world we live in.
6. What has been the highlight of your illustrating career? The highlight of my career was when I was recognized by a local advertisement agency that allowed me to have my own children’s event at the Historic Jeddah Festival! where after that I was invited to join and work side by side with 29 of the best artists in Saudi Arabia at Historic Jeddah itself. This meant a lot to me because it made me realize that my art and style has finally reached the level where even adults would like and recognize it! So I thank ‘Jeddah: Days Of Our Bliss’ for this opportunity!. 7. What’s your dream when it comes to Anime Illustrations? My dream is simple! It’s to never stop learning and to benefit my own country and city with what I’m drawing by showing people of all ages how our ancestors lived while using my own style! And to be well known as the first Jeddawi that started illustrating Hejazi characters in her own anime style!
4. What are your thoughts on the illustrators in Saudi Arabia? In Saudi Arabia, Fine art, Pop art and Graffiti are highly appreciated by everyone! But when it comes to Anime and Manga, its mostly the new generation that are paying attention. Manga and Anime art are considered to be child’s work here in Saudi Arabia, but thankfully it’s starting to change a couple of years ago when more people became interested in it and new talents came to light. Also, companies became more interested in adopting these talents and helping them grow in the right direction! - which is very good! 5. What do you use to promote your work? Social Media? I use social media (Instagram/Twitter), art web sites such as Pixiv, Behance and Deviantart and artists gatherings! Find my links, including my website, above in [FOLLOW YOMIKU].
8. Talk to us about “Nora” your Arabic Anime Character. Nora is 100% based on my mother “Nora” and her life when she was 12-13 years old. She’s a young Jeddawi girl who loves to play outside more than staying indoors! Nora is brave, fierce and knows no fear when it comes to playing or exploring! Nora is the closest character to my heart among my other original characters! 9. What has been some of the feedback from the community? Thanks to Allah for his blessings and helping me achieve what I did till now. All the feedbacks I received in live shows like galleries and live drawing areas are very positive: everyone I met was very welcoming and encouraging of me to keep going! Famous artists I’ve met who are very big in the industry of art, “games, manga and fine art” commented on my work with: [“Bravo! amazing and fresh work! Keep going! Keep going you are on the right path! Japanese people would love your work so much! You will be something huge someday for you are one of a kind in this industry, in drawing characters from history as anime characters with an Arabic hint.”]
LOCAL FLAVA’ | YOMIKU
10. How long does it usually take you to come up with a character? It depends on the details to be put on the character! Some characters take only 20 min to draw and have a draft story about them and rough color them. While others require more time and effort to catch more details in their clothes and story! 11. Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you or your art. Something not a lot of people know about my art...maybe the fact that I hate reference and don’t know how to draw from references? That’s why sometimes people comment with me having a different anatomy then other artists! At the end, I would like to thank Allah for what I’ve become. Then, I would like to thank my family, mom, dad, sisters and brothers for believing in me, uncle Zaki Hassanain for introducing me to uncle Mansour Al Zamil who both believed in me and supported me in my art also uncle Ehssan Burhan for beliving in me and supporting me. Thank you to who ever came over to me and said something encouraging, thank you for always following me and liking what i do! i hope you all keep supporting me and i hope I’m up to the goals I’ve set to achieve.
FEATURE | EDD ABBAS
[FOLLOW EDD ABBAS] https://www.facebook.com/EddAbbasLb https://soundcloud.com/eddabbas
EDD ABBAS A lyrically resourceful beast
1.You’re one of best lyricist the region has. What inspired you to start writing? When you’re passionate about something you tend to find ways to live your passion, so I got attracted to Rap music. It became my passion so I started imitating rappers that I was listening to back then: Redman (my favorite MC till today), Method Man, MC solar, IAM, Sniper and the early days of Eminem or the Slim Shady days, pushed me to start writing in English and French. Plus, I was surrounded by friends who used to listen to a lot of rap, and some of them used to freestyle as well. Those people inspired me to start rapping and specially in my early days. 2. As an MC, do you wait to hear the beat to write the lyrics, or its the other way around? Most of the time, the beat tells me what to write about, it sets the mood, the tempo and the different flows that you can fit on that Tempo, and especially when the beat is on a loop for like 5 hours, you go into a trance where you find yourself deep into your thoughts, totally focused, zoned in thinking about nothing but the content of the world
that was created inside your head from that loop. It’s very important to have the beat first for you to start writing; but sometimes, ideas come to mind while having a conversation with random people, or going back home by bus or cab, I just pull out my phone and start writing notes. Sometimes those notes are not even bars: they’d be just words that remind me of an idea or a topic that I was thinking of, which eventually developes into a song. Sometimes the topic comes to mind first, and then I try to produce a beat that fits the mood or the topic that am tackling before i start the actual writing on the beat. Writing without a beat kind of complicates things for me, and especially later on when am trying to fit those lyrics that I’ve written on a free tempo to that beat. Some MCs will tend to re-write and fix a couple of words here and there to make it fit, but I personally avoid doing that because I don’t really like to re-write stuff. I prefer starting fresh over everything. It happens that sometimes I don’t like the final product of a certain song i’ve written and produced, so I tend to re-produce the beat while keeping the same tempo and groove but changing the sample.
FEATURE | EDD ABBAS
3. How do you see the Hip-Hop scene in Lebanon, a lot of new-comers/underground events taking place.What are your thoughts on that? Beirut has always been alive: there’s no place on earth where you can just go out at any time, any day of the week and be sure your going to have fun without even planning for it. In the summer, everyday is a Sunday and every night is a Saturday: underground events happen everywhere, from surprise unannounced performances by Ziad el Rahbani in a totally random spot in Hamra, to a weekly Open Mic Sessions at Radio Beirut in Mar Mikhael on Mondays. Local venue owners are being more understanding and supportive towards local artists, and especially towards the hiphop culture and underground scene.
4.You have been in the game for a long time. What keeps you going and inspired? Life keeps me inspired, as well as the people around me, from Fareeq to my non-musician friends who make me listen to a lot of non-hiphop records, which inspires my production. I do listen to a lot of music in my free time, and I am always in search of new music. I’ve been DJing weekly and sometimes twice a week, so I have to keep my library updated. By setting goals and putting deadlines to your projects you keep the drive or passion going, collaborations with new artists pushes your creativity, and specially the collaborations that you do outside of your circle can musically take you to new places.
Beirut’s Hiphop scene is currently one of the most diverse and creative scenes in the region. Different styles are coming out of the city, non-hiphop heads are becoming more familiar with the culture, which is one of the reasons why MCs are collaborating with other genres of music, from Rock bands to electronic producers, even jazz festivals are featuring MCs on their line up. Many contributors are willing to push for this culture, still not enough exposure from the media on the underground scene, but I can’t deny that more and more light is being shed on the hiphop culture. We might not have the freedom of expression that the West has, but we do have freedom that allows you to do or say what you want to say to a certain extent.
5. Did you ever wake up telling yourself that I want to stop this because of lack of support? Rap started as a hobby and it will always be on for me. Writing is therapy for the soul, and it will always stay as something that I’ll be doing for my mental satisfaction. The lack of support will never put an end to my writings.
FEATURE | EDD ABBAS
6.Are you getting Media Support? The best people to talk about hiphop and promote that culture are hiphop heads. The culture has expanded remarkably in Lebanon: as you can see hiphop activists are doing workshops in schools and universities, online radio shows, writing articles about local hiphop events or new Local releases, physically selling local CDs and T-Shirts, involving their friends to help promote through several media outlets, activists whom are photographers and videographers that are documenting the scene, event organizers booking rappers for festivals inside and outside of Lebanon, college students doing research about the culture... All these people are the best promoters for the cullture because they simply are fans of Hiphop. As with my band Fareeq el Atrash, we do get a bit more opportunities and media exposure, our live instrumentation attracts different tastes, so it allows us to enter non-hiphop festivals as well but still not enough for us to live purely off playing music.
8.You recently battled Dizaster in the first official Arabic rap battle sponsored by the ARENA. How was that experience for you? What are your thoughts on such a move? Do you think the Arab region will enjoy it? I’ve never imagined that my first battle would be with an x-KOTD Champion. I have written diss tracks before, but writing for a battle is a whole different ball game. Your punches have to hit instantly to get an audience reaction, as in tracks I tend to write metaphores and punchlines without worrying much about the listener catching them from the first listen or not. Technicalities aside, I can finally say that we have our first Official battle league ‘The Arena’ in the Middle east, i believe it will get more people interested in the culture and push more Arab MCs to step into that new playground. Dizaster could’ve battled anybody in Beirut but I’m glad he challenged me and most importantly I’m glad we made it happen with the help of the Arena Team.
7. Who are your favourite Lebanese MC’s ? Chyno, whom just released his debut solo album “Making music to feel at home”, is one of my favorite MCs in Lebanon, because he is an MC not just a Rapper, and not just because he’s my partner in Fareeq el Atrash, but I have seen many perform on stage and half of them lack the essence of MC-ing, which is being able to rock the crowd and not just perform your tracks, capture the audience’s attention with your presence, know how to present your work, making constant eye contact with your audience to keep them hostage, and animate your words with gestures etc...
9. What has been the most challenging aspect in your rap career? The most challenging aspect in my career has always been finding sponsors to fund my projects and events that I organize every now and then. Not many funders see a reason to invest in hiphop as the hiphop’s market is pretty much small, we barely break even whenever we organize a concert ourselves, and especially if the venue is not equiped for live bands or any kind of performances, many expenses follow, other then renting the space, sound equipment, etc...
FEATURE | EDD ABBAS 10. What are you currently working on? I just finished working on the second “Men Wara el 3adaseh” album with Qarar & Samer AK, titled “Ta2irat el rou7”, produced by myself. It is available in several local stores like The Bandit Bay Geitawi and ASHEKMAN stores in Hamra, also it’ll be available online on my personal Soundcloud page in August and other online spots. 11. Do you think Hip-Hop in Arabia is still ONE movement? Hip Hop today is taking many directions, you see that rappers in Lebanon are very different from the ones in Syria, or any Arab country in the region. In fact, even if you look inside of Lebanon, rappers in Tripoli have different styles then the ones in Beirut, or the ones in the South. Many different movements are coming out, many different cells and each one of them stands out on its own, each camp is adding a new flavor to the Hiphop culture making it more diverse and appealing to different tastes. 12. Who can we find on your MP3 player? Action Bronson, J-Cole, Joey Bada$$, and Kendrick Lamar’s newest albums have been on rotation for almost a month.
13.You have collaborated with so many local & regional artists. Who are some of your fav MC’s from the Arab region? Locall I gotta say it’s the “Ill Madineh” collective lead by Jnood Beirut’s own and previous collaborator on the “Tripnol” Project Lipos. Gotta go with Deeb from Egypt, Satti from Jordan, She3rab from Palestine and Anas Arabi from Syria.
14. Do you think Radio play is as important as before? I can’t compare, back then, because people going from home to work or vise-versa, most of them turn on their radios while they’re stuck in traffic, even the ones who always have their iPods with them or tend to listen to some of their CDs in their CD player, might decide one day that they want to turn on their radio for a change. You’ll think with online radios and podcasts nowadays are replacing FM radios, but I always believed that the radio had its own crowd, it’s definetly an older generation that was exposed lately to the online world, but they always tend to go back and listen to the radio. 15. If someone doesn’t know your music and wants to start listening, which 3 songs would you suggest for them? • Sahrawi (from The Tripnol project produced in collaboration with two Lebanese producers Elepheel & Lipos) https://soundcloud.com/tripnol/ sahrawi?in=eddabbas/sets/edd-abbas-tracklist • Hejra (from AL Moutarakam solo project ) https://soundcloud.com/eddabbas/sets/almoutarakam
• Ma fineh Rou7 (from Men Wara el 3adaseh ‘s 2nd Project) 16. Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you I sketch from time to time.
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[FOLLOW SOUP FOR SYRIA] http://www.soupforsyria.com/
Book Description The world has failed Syria’s refugees and some of the world’s wealthiest countries have turned their backs on this humanitarian disaster. Syria’s neighbors—Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq— have together absorbed more than four million refugees. The need for food relief is great and growing. Acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors the world over have come together to help food relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees. Each has contributed a recipe to this beautifully illustrated cookbook of delicious soups from around the world. Contributors include: Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Anthony Bourdain, Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Paula Wolfert, Claudia Roden, Sally Butcher, Ana Sortun, Greg Malouf, Aglaia Kremenzi, Joe Barza, Carolyn Kumpe, Wendy Rahamut, and many others.
s p o t f . y . i .
Acclaimed chefs and cookbook authors the world over have come together to help food relief efforts to alleviate the suffering of Syrian refugees. Each has contributed a recipe to this beautifully illustrated cookbook of delicious soups from around the world. Contributors include: Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Anthony Bourdain, Mark Bittman, Alice Waters, Paula Wolfert, Claudia Roden, Sally Butcher, Ana Sortun, Greg Malouf, Aglaia Kremenzi, Joe Barza, Carolyn Kumpe, Wendy Rahamut, and many others.
• Celebrity chefs and cookbook authors contribute favorite recipes to help feed Syrian refugees • Fabulous soups from around the world—from hearty winter warmers to chilled summer soups • Easy-to-follow instructions with stunning color photos throughout • Recipes made with no-fuss ingredients found in your local supermarket The profits from the sales of the cookbook will be donated to help fund food relief efforts through the Untied Nation’s UNHCR. Most Syrians hope that one day they will be able to return to their country and rebuild their lives. For now, though, what we can do is listen to their pleas. Be part of this vital work of saving lives and help us deliver essential food items to the displaced refugees.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | BUFIFTY
[FOLLOW BUFIFTY] https://instagram.com/bufifty/
Kuwaiti Graffiti Artist 3. How’s the graffiti scene in Kuwait? The graffiti scene in Kuwait is definitely booming and its becoming more accepted everyday compared to how it was 3 years ago, but now the more the people see graffiti in Kuwait the more they ask for it and appeal to it.
9. Name 5 Graffiti artists people should know about in Arabia. JoeGraffi, Kelsix, Monstariam, Mohammad Mayya and Abrar Al-Lahou
4. Do you usually listen to anything while drawing? & if so who can we find on Bufifty’s MP3 player? Yes, usually I listen to upbeat music mostly DJs and a bit of dubstep music. 5. Who are some of your inspirations? A lot of architects inspire me in both architecture and graffiti, like Santiago Calatrava, Richard Meier, and of course there are a lot of graffiti writers that inspire me like Sofles, Digital Does and Nychos… etc
1. Tell us about your nickname Bufifty where did it come from? My name is Abdullah Bukhamseen, so I just translated the second part of my surname (khamseen) into English (fifty) 2. I’ve seen your work and blessings to you. Whats the impact of you being an architect have on your graffiti? Architecture definitely has an impact on my art in general and vice versa, my knowledge in graffiti influence the way I design architecture.
6. What do you think of the Graffiti scene in Saudi Arabia? I greatly respect the graffiti scene in Saudi Arabia and its pioneers, and in my opinion the scene in Saudi Arabia was the starting point of graffiti in the GCC countries and inspired them to get involved in the scene. 7. What has been your biggest accomplishment till now? I would say that my biggest accomplishment is my participation in guinness world record for longest graffiti wall which took place in Dubai. 8. Is there any place or spot you would like to draw on? Theres no specific spot, generally I like the spots where its exposed to people to interact with my art.
10. How has the support from the Kuwaiti community been? The community supports the graffiti scene and the graffiti writers and streets artists, but there are also those who still don’t appeal to graffiti fight it off, but the majority support us. 11. What’s your dream? My dream is to have my own architectural firm in the future. 12. Do you have a day job? & if so what is it? Yes, I’m work as a full time architect. 13. Tell Re-Volt Magazine something not a lot of people know about you. I research and study a lot of behaviorism, cognitive psychology and social psychology.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | BUFIFTY
LOCAL FLAVA’ | BUFIFTY
LOCAL FLAVA’ | BUFIFTY
s p o t f . y . i .
[WATCH TRAILER] https://vimeo.com/135142773
in an ASIR:Sand Hourglass
ASIR: Sand in an Hourglass A documentary project by Michael Bou-Nacklie about the Asir region looking at how the culture of the oldest region of Saudi is adapting after severe demographic shifts. The entire project was filmed in 10 days on location in Tanoumah, Abha, Khamys Mushayt, Mukhail and the Tihama mountains.
SINGLE RELEASE | DEATH TO GET HERE
THE RECIPE | DEATH TO GET HERE (Produced by Bangzy) https://soundcloud.com/therecipedxb/therecipe-death-to-get-here-prodby-bangzy https://www.facebook.com/therecipedxb
FEATURE | CHYNO
[FOLLOW CHYNO] https://www.facebook.com/chynovation https://twitter.com/chynovation https://instagram.com/chynovation/ http://www.chynovation.com/
CHYNO
A Syrian-Filipino MC with a heart set in Beirut
1.What inspired you to start writing? Ever since I was a kid, I was curious about the use of words, and I was very obsessed with patterns. You kind of create patterns with words when writing lyrics, so I guess writing raps fulfilled the need for both. At the beginning I was in it for the technical aspect of rap. The wordplay, the style, and just the dopeness that got all of us gravitated towards Hip Hop. Coming from parents of different backgrounds, I was always different wherever I lived. I wanted to express that, and Hip Hop is perfect because embraces the different as unique.
2. As an MC, do you wait to hear the beat to write the lyrics, or its the other way around? It really depends. Sometimes I just jot ideas for rhyme schemes down and keep them for later, but if a producer gives me a beat, I’d rather write it to what he has arranged. I really prefer to be hands on with the arrangements as much as I can. So recently I’ve been producing most of my songs, so I could write as I compose and arrange the beat. That way I’m not confined to any structure.
FEATURE | CHYNO
3. How do you see the Hip-Hop scene in Lebanon, a lot of new-comers and underground events taking place especially lately. What are your thoughts on that? I love the scene in Lebanon. There’s quite a diversity. Regardless, we still need more events, more initiatives, higher quality shows and music. It’s slowly fitting into our society, it just hasn’t found it’s sweet spot yet. Different Hip Hop artists are attracting different viewership. We just haven’t found “the one” that has mass appeal all across the board.
6. Are you getting Media Support? You mean radio stations? No. Some websites and magazines give me love. But I definitely need the support. I don’t blame nobody though. Maybe I just need to work harder.
4. What keeps you going and motivated? Keeps me going and motivated in music or in life? Well either way, what motivates me to make music is the sum of what I’ve experienced in life, and sometimes there’s things you experienced in life that’s only bearable to me by making music.
8. The first official Arabic rap league launched earlier this July sponsored by the AERNA. How was that experience for you? What are your thoughts on such a move? Do you think the Arab region will enjoy it? I definitely think there is a demand for Arabic Battle Rap or Mobarap as we like to call it in the Arena. I’m still trying to figure out the logistics of everything because we’ve only executed that one battle. Watching a World Class performer such as Dizaster versus the crème de la crème of Arabic Rap, Edd Abbas, I think everyone who caught the battle live was happy to be part of it.
5. Did you ever wake up telling yourself that I want to stop this because of lack of support? It crosses my mind every now and then. But then I remember working at a bank, and how depressing that was. So I get up and try to figure out how to pave a path for myself.
7. Who are your favourite Lebanese MC’s? And who are some of your fav producers? My favorite Lebanese Rappers are definitely Edd Abbas and El Rass.
FEATURE | CHYNO
15. Do you think its feasible to “Only” be a rapper in the Arab world? Or you need to have a day job along with that? I don’t have a day job. I do Hip Hop music, whether with Fareeq or solo, I got my Radio Show, Bar Fight and now hopefully we can make something out of our rap battle league, The Arena.
9. What has been the most challenging aspect in your rap career? Getting the music out. I just released my first solo album, “Making Music to Feel at Home” and it was received very well. I received a lot of praise for it’s singles with their videos, as well as the album as a body of work. But I still find my reach to be quite limited. 10. What are you currently working on? I got a bunch of tracks cooking. A couple collaborations and couple of new solo releases as well. There’s also get-togethers with Fareeq el Atrash members for a new project. The Arena wants to host an event with a bunch of battles. I try to keep it moving. Lebanon is in a very important junction right now, so plans will be re-arranged accordingly. 11. Who can we find on your MP3 player? At the moment, you’ll find some classics from Jay Z, Nas, the Wu. The newer songs I bump are Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole, some Jay Electronica, Mick Jenkins, Chance, a couple Childish tracks. I also get quite obscure with it, especially since I search for songs to air on my radio show, Bar Fight.
12.You have collaborated with so many local & regional artists. Who are some of your fav MC’s from the Arab region? Satti is my boy from Jordan, and we actually have a track that’s been in the works. It’s produced by John Nasr, the founder of Fareeq El Atrash. From Egypt, I like Deeb and Abyusif. From Palestine, I like Stormtrap’s style a lot. Syrian Rapper, Bou Kalthoum, is on the up and up as well. 13. Do you think Radio play is as important as before? It still has it’s purpose. It’s called pop songs because it’s popular music. Radio and TV is still the driving force that pushes underground trends up into the mainstream world. 14. If someone doesn’t know your music & wants to start listening, which 3 songs would you suggest for them? Origami•OPP•Haram
16. Tell us about “Bar Fight” - your show on Radio Beirut? How’s that going? It’s a Hip Hop based opinion show. We go really hard on social critique, and we’re quite blunt. It’s meant to be funny, but I can see people getting offended. It’s a turbulent and hopeful time in Lebanon with the protests against the government. My co-host Mikey and I, are quite focused on that at the moment and we dedicate a big portion of our show to it. 17.You & many local artists in Lebanon are witnessing a revolting time against the current government. In your opinion, what role does art & music play in such movements? I find that we have a certain responsibility. Reflect your environment honestly, regardless of how unpopular or popular they are. The debates are essential. Whether it is in their music or regular dialogue. Artist have a larger sphere of influence than the average person. Obviously a lot of people are going to try to exploit the situation for their brand image, and they’re really trapping themselves. I feel dishonesty kills the longevity of one’s art. Be you, regardless of these situations, and let’s document these times in an artistic point of view. 18. Tell Re-Volt something not a lot of people know about you? I’m a big basketball fan. I watch the NBA season religiously! My love for basketball started in the Philippines (because it’s the most popular sport there); it was nurtured in Jeddah, KSA where I lived for most of the 90’s.
Q&A | ODOD
[FOLLOW ODOD] https://instagram.com/ododgallery/ http://blog.virginmobile.sa/video/od-od/
ُ ُ أودأود Od Od The one who writes in reverse
What inspired to become a graffiti artist? From a young age, I’ve explored lots of different art fileds. But my passion was graffiti because in my opinion I believe that it stands out and it’s louder than any other kind of art. Indeed Graffiti a.k.a. street art doesn’t have boundaries and this is one of the main reason why I was inspired to become a graffiti artist
Who gave your nickname OdOd? My sister when she was 3 years old , she had difficulties pronouncing my name so she gave me this nickname and it’s been stuck ever.
Q&A | ODOD
What are your next goals? My next goal is to start a new art movement “collaborate” where I get the chance to collaborate my style with different illustrators and graffiti artist around the word . What are you currently working on now? Currently am working on filming and editing a couple of new short films , since I haven’t done that for a while . How important is it for you to have the support of your family? Your family is your strength that holds you together, without it you won’t be able to move or keep going further . What has been the highlight of your journey? And why? Winning the ‘Create and Inspire’ Competition and traveling to Brazil was the main highlight cause it opened up my eyes to lots of things and I got the chance to discover the real artist in me .
Given the restrictions you have in Saudi, how did that push you to become even more persistent in achieving your goals? I consider these restrictions as challenges not obstacles. Nothing ever comes easy especially when you have an idea or a message that not everyone is familiar with. It gives me a boost to actually work harder and smarter, not only to prove myself but also to inspire . What are your thoughts on the local scene in Saudi Arabia? It is improving and I am very grateful for that, but it takes more than just galleries and events to support the local artist . You’re known as the girl who writes in reverse. Take us through the process of when you realised you’re good at that and why did you choose that path? So as I mentioned earlier I had been exploring different art fields: graffiti was my main focus. My aim was to create my own style which I did after 4 years. My mother taught me how to write in
reverse when I was 12 and it turned out that lot of people do that. The only difference is that I took it to a whole new level and added Calligraffiti. So I chose to write in reverse because I wanted to showcase Arabic calligraphy in a different perspective, in a way to think out of the box . In your opinion, how do you see the Saudi Graffiti scene? It’s improving and being more accepted than it used to be; but still I wish we see more public wall in parks, streets and malls . From your work, what has the feedback been like? “What does this say ?” is the most common question I have got so far. Viewers have been amazed by the idea of writing in Arabic from left to right and some really appreciate it, others don’t quite see it. The feedback has been positive and also supportive, which I really appreciate.
Who are some of the Calligraffiti artists you get inspired from? EL seed raised me, Ink man believed in me and Fouad Hachmi taught me . We all love the work el Seed does. How did he inspire you? He raised me to love my roots more than anything else and to be proud of it. He inspires to become a real humble artist. You always say “My dream is not to become an artist; but to become ART itself ” Can you elaborate more on that quote? My dream has been and will always be to become the art it self in other words, I don’t want people to know my name or me as artist - I want them to know me by my art and to be inspired by it. I dream of my art to pass through generations and this is where I become the art it self rather than just a well known name . Tell Re-Volt Something not a lot of people know about you I Don’t eat tomatos and have birthmark on my right hand .
CARTOONS
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New #Khartoon I Hope Humanity Finds a Cure for Visas #Syria #immigrants #Greece #Italy
CARTOONS
New #Khartoon Bashar’s Victory #Syria #AylanKurdi #KiyiyaVuranInsanlik I know there are lots of factors that lead to this #SyrianRefugeeCriss Bashar Al Asad is the main reason for the civil war... way before ISIS or any other factors.
Q&A | NARCY & ‘THE RISE’
]FOLLOW NARCY[ https://twitter.com/TheNarcicyst https://twitter.com/wearethemedium /http://www.thenarcicyst.com /http://www.wearethemedium.com
A SHORT MUSIC FILM BY NARCY DIRECTED BY ALI F. MOSTAFA
1.What is it that you want people to walk away after watching RISE? I wanted to make a film that was about the identity crisis we feel watching our mother- lands fall apart politically. Socially, our people are so resilient but people tend to not focus on that, so I used a main character to highlight the removed yet complex relationship we, as individuals, have to the greater story of humanity. 2. How long did it take you guys to finalize the full project? The film took a year and some change to get done.The post production took the longest but we shot it in five and I raised the capital for it in less than a month.
3. RISE was done by people who are very close you (Friends & Family). How important was it for you to have them around? My family is in everything I do. I am a bearer of a last name I have to do honour to, FOR my family. So they are with me in everything because I am everything I am due to them. 4.What 3 key words would you associate with the RISE? Revolution, Hypocrisy, Distractions. 5.Would we see the RISE in international festivals? It has played worldwide at over 15 festivals, but since we released it online we’ve kept it on that platform.
Q&A | ON SET :: ‘THE RISE’
Q&A | SNEAKPEEK :: ‘THE RISE’
Q&A | DJ OUTLAW
[FOLLOW DJ OUTLAW] https://twitter.com/DJOUTLAW http://djoutlaw.com/
DJ OUTLAW Arab News: What inspired you to become a producer/DJ? DJ Outlaw: When I was younger, I fell in love with music when I heard Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” and Kriss Kross’ “Totally Krossed Out” albums. From there, I started to feed my passion for music and began DJ-ing in 1997. In 1999, I decided I want to take music to the next level, and just DJ-ing wasn’t enough anymore, so I got into production. From there, continuous growth became very important to me, and I had my mind set on shaping the scene, and eventually industry, in Bahrain and the region. So in 2002, I started Outlaw Productions to do just that and find artists that are just as passionate as I am. The rest is history!
AN: Growing up in Bahrain. There were no opportunities for the kind of art you did. How did you create those opportunities? DO: I always tell people that because when I started out there was no scene, learning opportunities, or support, I fell flat on my face over and over! I had to figure things out for myself through trial and error thats why i had to do it all by myself from production, promoting, managing to videography etc... Basically, it took a whole lot of consistency and hard work to get my name out there and eventually get recognition leading to different opportunities.
Q&A | DJ OUTLAW
AN:You have decided to quit your day job and focus on DJing/production. Take us through that process? DO: It was about time! I decided that in order for me to really make my dreams a reality, I had to give it 100%. It was definitely risky, but it’s a risk I’m glad I took! Since then, I opened the new Outlaw Productions studio and have been much more focused on music. AN: Hows the Music Scene in Bahrain? & in particular the Hip-Hop scene? DO: Bahrain has lots of talented artists. As a music scene in general, there’s a variety of artists from all genres that are really good at what they do, which is great to see. The hip hop scene specifically is small and has a long way to go. In general, there’s progress, its growing by the day and it’s good to see that more and more artists are comfortable with putting themselves out there than before. AN:You have hosted a mixtape series called “The Middle East invasion”. How did this idea come up? & what has been the feedback? DO: The Middle East Invasion has grown to become the region’s biggest and most anticipated mixtape series! When I first started it, the goal was to put together the best of what Arab hip hop with the newcomers that i saw had potential and showcase it to the world, free of charge! With every volume, the feedback got bigger, and getting featured got tougher with more and more talented artists submitting their music. So far, I’ve released six volumes and counting!
AN: What does Outlaw Productions mean to you? DO: Outlaw Productions is one of my proudest accomplishments! It went from being a home studio in my bedroom to an officially registered company and a state-of-the-art studio. It’s definitely a big part of my life and an empire in the making. The team and I are working day in and day out to build it! AN: Are you getting support from local media in Bahrain? DO: Media support has definitely come a long way since I started out doing music about 18 years ago! I’ve been noticing that different publications have been getting more and more interested in Outlaw Productions with every project we put out.
AN:You have few artists signed to your label. What do you have planned for them for the remaining of the year? & are you on the look out to sign a new talent? DO: Each one of the artists is getting projects ready for this year and next year. Flipp is currently working on his sophomore studio album as well as a single coming out soon. Daffy’s new single is getting done as well and we’re about to start working on its music video. Coco is working on her album as well, and Arabique is getting an EP ready. I’m always on the look out for new talent! Whether or not I sign them depends on various factors, but I’m always open for demo submissions on my website http://www.djoutlaw.com/
Q&A | DJ OUTLAW
AN:Earlier this year, you & Flipp opened up to one of the legends in the game , DMC from RUN DMC. How did that feel? DO: A dream come true! It was an honor opening and sharing the stage with one of the biggest hip hop icons to walk the planet. DMC is one of my all-time favorites, so it was definitely a big deal!
AN:You just released a “Cypher Track” called “AWA” which stands for Arabs With Attitude; what inspired you to produce/create this record? and What was the process of choosing the MCs that are on it? DO: I am always down for projects that unites the artists in the region, AWA was of those. Putting together some of the best that never been on a track together. It took me about 6 months to finish off the track. The process of choosing the artists was to see whose the hottest in each country and who can spit lyrics; this track was to bring back put Hip-Hop and show the world that we have lyrical artists while reminding the region that we can make hardcore Hip-Hop tracks away from the radio tracks I have been doing. At the end of the day, I am an old school Hip-Hop head, the boom bap beat and lyrics is what I grew up to. AN: What can we find on Outlaw MP3 player? DO: Lots of old school hip hop! I listen to different types of music but mostly hip hop and R&B, especially old school, classic records.
AN: In all honesty. What are your thoughts on the Arab Hip-Hop scene? DO: There are a lot of talented artists on the scene with a ton of potential, and if you look back to about 5 years ago, the scene came a very long way. People have become more accepting of the idea of Arab hip hop. A big reason for that is the artists who have been working hard to help shape the scene. There are quite a few artists out there that I think have world-class potential! We still have a long way to go to transform it from a scene into an industry, but we’ll get there. AN: Who do you think will break out from the Arab hip hop scene? DO: I cant name one artist, like i mentioned above, alot of artists has huge potential in the region so its a matter of who will get the opportunity first. AN: Tell re-volt magazine something not a lot of people know about you DO: I never studied music until about a year ago! I did a few online courses in different music-related disciplines. Before that, I never had the chance to get any sort of music education.
Arabnews | Original interview http://www.arabnews.com/offbeat/ news/789976
Q&A | RAED AL-MURISH
[FOLLOW RAED AL-MURISH] https://instagram.com/raedrebel/ https://www.facebook.com/RREBEL https://twitter.com/raedrebel
Raed Al-Murish From Graphic Designer to Videographer
1.What inspired to become a director? Was there a special moment? In the start, I was a graphic designer and I used to make and design websites. I didn’t expect that I’d enter this world, but the moment that made me want to enter the field of directing and videos was when I used to attend rap parties and break dance shows and I used to film, edit and release footage online - as a start. And then I started to learn more and get deeper into this field. 2. As you see it, what qualities does a good videographer need to have? At the current time, I can’t say I reached a level where I can give advice but I can tell you what I do. I watch a large number of music videos and movies from around the world so I can have a clear and vast image with variety and I go learn online on how to do some things I watched to earn a new skill.Various softwares have various strengths so I always learn and never trap myself in old methods.
3.You are part of the Arab League and your contribution to Arab Hip-Hop is huge and much appreciated. How did you get into the Arab League? My start was as a fan to this circle of great talents. As you know, I live in Egypt and I used to always attend Arab League concerts in the past years and I always made sure I filmed and took photos from the first moment till the end of the show. From there, I started talking to one of the Arabian Knightz members, Rush, and I suggested that I start a new Arab League website. And after that, I became friends with everyone in the group. We became a family and real brothers. Not just in the rap field but in life as well... 4. Do you remember the first video you ever shot? In the past, I was a b-boy and I used to film and edit for my friends but I can’t really remember my first videos and I’m sure it was a disaster!
Q&A | RAED AL-MURISH
5.You did a video for D12. How did that opportunity see light? I made a lyrics video for a new song by Eminem and I published it online.The fans eventually passed it around on forums and sites. It was reuploaded on various online media. I even sent it to some Facebook pages that belong to Shady Records and D12.The official D12 page posted it and made the video even more known: their manager contacted me and we started working! I made 5 lyrics videos and designed 3 t-shirts and 5 posters for Shady Records so far and work is still in progress...
8.What’s your dream event to shoot and why? Eminem Tour or Release Party because I think he is the best rapper in the world for me. 9. How do you define the style of your work? If you mean the music videos, first I listen to the song several times in a row and get deeper into it and imagine what I can get out of it looking for a suitable idea... Initially, I have to know if I’m needed to do lyrics video or normal video shoot or editing footage.. 10. If a young videographer wants to get serious. What is your advise to him/her? Watch a lot of tutorials and tips videos online or take courses and try it with your friends. 11.Who are your fav 5 rappers in Saudi & why? In no particlar order, I respect all of them: L.K • Eirk • Klash • Qusai • BIG S.P • Oday 6.Who are your top 5 hip hop artists in Arabia? In terms of Arabs, it’s hard to choose only five rappers. But all the Arab League artists in my eyes are the best to represent Arab rap, locally and globally. I don’t deny that there is a lot of other creative talents in this field now. 7.You recently moved to Saudi Arabia and you’re currently working for Jeddah Legends. How has that experience been for you? (Knowing that you have helped elevate the scene here by your videos) It’s a great experience and lately I have become a member of Jeddah Legends, in all that concerns graphic designs and video production. I made a good job but 15 videos in 7 months is not enough I guess!
12.Who inspired you? I can’t remember any certain names but anyone who I’ve seen has inspired me... 13.What are you currently working on? Some of the future works will be with artists from abroad Obie Trice, D12, Young Buck of G Unit, Kid Ink There also is a big chance to work on some songs of Southpaw movie. 14.Tell re-volt magazine something not a lot of people know about you. At the moment I’m studying how to make cartoons and animation. Wish me luck! I think most of what I do is on and from the internet so it’s not hidden :D
s p o t f . y . i .
[FOLLOW CORINNE MARTIN] https://www.facebook.com/corinnemartinart https://instagram.com/corinnemartinart/ http://blog.corinnemartin.com/ http://shop.corinnemartin.com/ http://work.corinnemartin.com/
Contemporary Middle Eastern Art & Culture
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Pringles Blue (130 cm x 130 cm) - Acrylic on Canvas
“Al Sabr” | Patience is key - [Riyadh studio], 2011
Vimto Diptych (60 cm x 120 cm) - Acrylic on Canvas
Tide (130 cm x 130 cm) - Acrylic on Canvas
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
[FOLLOW Q8 STREETART] https://www.facebook.com/q8streetart https://instagram.com/q8streetart/
A canvas for Kuwaiti graffiti artists FRIZY - What an original tag! Who is the person behind it? And what is a nickname given to you or does it have a personal story? Frizy is an outgoing, spontaneous, go-getter with a love for family and friends and appreciation for life lessons. Take one look at me and you will obviously see that the name Frizy applies to my curly hair. It really is larger than life. Of course Kuwait weather adds to the term Frizy, the weather is redonculous haha. I feel it reflects my personality.
How did you first get acquainted with graffiti and street art? I’ve always had a passion for photography throughout university I would take freelance opportunities for different kinds of photography that lead me to start my own home studio Eclectic Studio. Urban photography was my preferred style and that is what led me to the world of street art and graffiti. Being an avid traveler, I’ve come across many different styles of street art and graffiti, mainly in the UK, Paris, Belgium, Amsterdam, Dubai, Egypt, Lebanon and Cyprus. I more frequently began documenting these inspiring pieces and began networking with these artists in different countries. I was inspired by their stories, their passion and of course their artwork.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
How and when did the concept behind ‘Q8 STREET ART’ come to life? Coming back from my travels I realized my collection of street art and graffiti photography was growing and I was determined to find that kind of inspiration at home, Kuwait. Through my search to document street art and graffiti in Kuwait I would spend my weekends and free time hunting for pieces by local artists and I was surprised at how progressive the scene was becoming. I felt that local artists needed support and recognition and in 2012 I decided to create Q8 Street Art on instagram which till today is the only local platform dedicated to showcasing the Kuwait street art and graffiti scene. My efforts are not only focused on showcasing artwork as I’m equally passionate about bringing the artists to the forefront.
Where did you continue your higher studies and in what major? I attended Rutgers University in New Jersey and continued my BA in Mass Communications and Media at the American University of Kuwait, with a minor in Psychology. Has being art-driven always been part of your personality? Absolutley! I was raised in a home were art was praised and appreciated in all its forms. My mother enrolled me in art contests when I was a child and I have always been fascinated with art. At home I actually have a section that allows me to express my artistic freedom it’s my little haven “Wonderland” that keeps me inspired and sane. Has hip hop culture ever influenced you to lean towards street art? Abso-freakin-lutley!! All who know me know that I am musically driven. Ever since I was a child, the hip hop culture influenced my fashion sense and life style especially in the late 90’s early 2000’s where being a senior in highschool was all about making statements. I’m obsessed with hip hop dancing and its origins (I’m known to bust a move or two haha) How would you describe your style? Is your emphasis on character design, abstract compositions or calligraphy? I like incorporating words in my artwork, which stems from my love for poetry and music. Stenciling is a style that I enjoy because I’m still developing my free hand skill and I’m exploring different styles that speak to me to find my unique expression as an artist. Here I’m learning so much from the different artists I’m meeting through Q8 Street Art and I’m seeing that individuality is key. The learning process is never ending.
Calligfraffiti by EL Seed
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Graffiti mural by Skount and Nizzy
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Graffiti by Monstariam
Fay Al Homoud a.k.a. Frizy | Founder of Q8 StreetArt
What was a mural or artwork you saw that caught your attention and till now is marked as a source of inspiration? I went on a street art tour in Shoreditch, UK specifically to see pieces by Alex Dias and ROA. I’m fascinated with their details and scale. Their pieces are large statement pieces I was instantly drawn to their profound impressions they literally left me speechless and I can honestly say that the tour I took that day changed my life.
What kind of competitions, conferences and/or festivals have you been part of? I have taken photography workshops and enrolled in an online photography course in New York. I’m proud to say that my photography has been used in a documentary that was supported by the United Nations. I have been invited to gallery openings and premier shows hosted by globally recognized street artists which helped me enhance my vision for Q8 Street Art and gave me the opportunity to speak about the scene in Kuwait with world renowned street and graffiti artists. I also participated in an international poetry contest where I came out in the semi finals and always attend local art shows, gallery openings, music events and activities that support the urban scene in Kuwait and around the region. I have participated in a festival in Kuwait that launched Q8 Street Art on all platforms. I was surprised that the feedback was overwhelming.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Graffiti by Nizzy
Calligraffiti by Jarrah Al Biloushi
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Graffiti mural (left to right) by Bufifty | joegraffi | SyaOne | Steffibow | Monstariam | Kelsix
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART In what way does music play a role in your individuality as a person and as an artist? Music is probably the most important part of my life. Music is what drives me, what motivates me and what keeps me focused and inspired. I find music to be a form of energy, it has the power to heal and to motivate. Music boosts my creativity in all aspects. I appreciate all the different genres especially R&B infused pop and sample-based electronic music. I love deep and meaningful lyrics and sometimes I find myself envisioning different videos based on lyrics and sound. I’ve dabbled with different instruments like the saxophone, drums, keyboard, flute, and guitar and I believe that music is and will continue to be my most cherished and personal point of inspiration.
What are the top highlights of your career to this day? I owe my career to the amazing artists in Kuwait. I’m so proud to witness the rise in street art and graffiti in Kuwait and even more proud to be part of this emerging community. Q8 Street Art has now become a regionally and internationally recognized community of artists and I strive to support and offer our local artists with opportunities that will further highlight their talents. My strength is my network of artists, establishments that
are looking for talent and the relationships I have formed. I have a hand in a few online and interactive platforms that allows me to bring local artists to the spotlight and showcase their artwork to the world. I will always pride in this as that is my number one priority. What are your plans for Q8 Street Art? Are you considering to compile this culture in a visual book? To continue doing what I am doing. I do not see this as personal gain. My aim is to enrich the world’s vision of Kuwait and its pop culture and the artists that are making it happen. Ultimately I aim to establish Q8 Street Art as a fully functioning platform for up and coming and established artists to grow and share their message with the world. I love when I see that the artists I highlight are off doing amazing things that I’ve helped facilitate. I am a creative book junky I have an extensive library of art books and I’ve always dreamed of seeing my photographs published and hopefully compile my own publication.
As Frizy, what are your personal goals? I aim to establish Q8 Street Art as an organization that aids in facilitating opportunities for Kuwait street artists around the world. My aim will always to showcase Q8 Street Art and the emerging street and graffiti artists and hopefully establish a regional platform that highlights other Gulf countries as well. Interaction is very important to me and I will always want to form relationships with other creative people wherever I go. These relationships do not only enhance my network but allows the Q8 Street Art community to benefit and collaborate with other artists around the world. I’m so fascinated with street art that I’m working to become a street artist one day with everything that I have learned from the artists that I have met.
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Tell re-volt magazine something not many people know about you. I have tattoos and an obsession with sugar skulls. I love to sing and even though I’m not a generally a shy person I can never sing on demand. I’m usually known to have different characters that my friends generally enjoy black mailing me with (darn snapchat!) I’m usually not myself when I straighten my hair for some reason I transform into one of the children in Sound of Music hahaha.
Stencil by Frizy
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Calligraffit by Zepha
LOCAL FLAVA’ | Q8 STREETART
Q&A | STORMTRAP
[FOLLOW STORMTRAP] https://soundcloud.com/stormtrap
MC & Hip Hop Producer 1.You collect a lot of music from all over the world. Who are some of the artists that inspired you growing up? I made a sort of random list not too long ago, I’m sure it’s missing a lot of other influences but it’s just to give an idea of the different stuff that influenced me. Public Enemy • Cypress Hill • NWA • Paris • KRS-one • Onyx • Rakim • Big Daddy Kane • Fugees • Kool G rap • DJ Shadow • DJ Krush • Nujabes • MF Doom • A Tribe Called Quest • IAM • Gangstarr • Wu Tang Clan • Madlib • J Dilla, Nas • Iron Maiden • Aphex Twin • Burial • Fourtet • Brian Eno • Squarepusher • Amon Tobin • Portishead • Massive Attack • Tricky • Archive • Ennio Morricone • Fairouz • Ziad Rahbani • Sheikh Emam • Ahmad Qaabour • Marcel Khalifa • Um Kulthoum • Warda
2.Youve been on the scene for quite some time; how do you think the Arab Hip-Hop scene has evolved? And where do you see it going in the next 3 years? The Arab Hip Hop scene has obviously grown massively and in terms of how many rappers and producers there are nowadays you can tell it’s here to stay. In the next three years I can see more artists releasing complete works like EP’s, mixtapes, and albums (rather than just singles).
Q&A | STORMTRAP
3.You tour a lot mashalla, majority of these tours are in Europe. Would you say you get the most support from that region? And how has the feedback been? Well actually I get a lot of support from all around the world, but the most performances I’ve done were in Europe. The feedback has always been very positive, but I think people would like to understand more what the lyrics are about (since not everyone speaks Arabic). This translation issue is a bit tricky, because on one hand you enable your non-Arabic-seaking listeners to understand you, but on the other hand a lot of the meaning of the song gets lost in translation. 4. What do you think on the support Artists in Arabia are getting from events companies, media, etc..? There is of course some support, but I think it’s still not enough. At least I can say this for myself, I’ve been making music for a long time now and I still have to work other jobs most of the time to make a living! 5. Do you think Radio play is as important as before? Definitely. Personally I always listen to the radio and discover new music through it, and I’m sure many other people do too. 6. If theres any rappers in the world you would like to produce for, who would it be & why? I haven’t really thought about that. But of course I would be very glad to produce for any of my current favorite rappers. Right now I’m just more focused on producing for upcoming and established local MC’s . By the way, there’s a track I’m producing for a Hip Hop Legend, which will also feature one of the best local MC’s, but I can’t say more than this right now.
7. Do you think Music can resolve what Politics has destroyed. Especially in the situation that Palestine is going through. How important is it for Artists such as yourself to keep putting out music that reflect the truth & reality on ground? I think it’s very important to keep putting out music that reflects the reality, because this way you tell a story and send a message to people in a way that they will actually listen and maybe even feel something. By doing this you’re enabling the listeners to share a piece of your experience. 8. What are you currently working on? Currently I’m working on different collaboration tracks with some of the most talented MC’s in the region. I’m also working on a mixtape and an album. I’ve been a bit busy with my studies this year but I will be putting out the new material soon enough! 9. Who can we find on your MP3 player? Well I just opened my mobile phone’s MP3 player to answer this question. I have stuff like Freddie Gibbs, Roc Marciano, Strange U, Nujabes, Clipping, Burial, Aphex Twin, Muslimgauze, Checkpoint 303, Africa Hitech, Heltah Skeltah, Quakers, Clams Casino 10. If someone never heard your music, which 3 songs would you give them & why? I would try to give them 3 songs which are very different from each other in style, to kind of demonstrate the different areas I cover in my music. I would give them “Fi Hadal Habs”, because it’s simply one of my personal favorites. “7elem fil pixel” to show my experimental side. And “Ma ra7 a3affen” for a more poetic experience.
11. Blessings to you for all what you do & to your art. Do you miss Ramallah Underground? Will we ever see RU again? For sure. The Ramallah Underground days will always have a huge influence on everything I do musically. It was the beginning and it’s great to see how many people it had an impact on, and that the music we made then is still being listened to today means that we created something timeless. 12. If you’re on a big time radio show and was given one BEAT to rap on, which beat would you select and why? This is a difficult question, because there’s a lot of favorite beats that I love to spit on. But since I have to choose one, I would go for the classic “Gangstarr – Full clip”, and that’s because I can’t even count how many times I played it.. and it never gets boring. 13. If there’s someone that helped you in your career and you would like to shout them out here. who would it and what did they do for you? I give shout outs to my family and close friends who have always had my back and supported me no matter what. 14. Tell Re-Volt Magazine something NOT a lot of people know about you. As long as they hear my music then that’s all they need to know about me! I want to give a big shout out to Re-Volt Magazine for supporting local Hip Hop and always keeping it real! Peace
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[FOLLOW ASHRAF GHORI] http://www.ashrafghori.com/tagged/portfolio https://www.facebook.com/AshrafGhori https://www.youtube.com/xpansecgi http://www.ashrafghori.com/store
‘Doctor Doom’ #DigitalPainting ©Ashraf Ghori
‘Khadim’s Revenge’ #Grindhouse movie poster for #DarkHorse Comics.
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Bat-Symbiote. © Ashraf Ghori.
Q&A | YOUSEF ALBAGSHI
[FOLLOW YOUSEF ALBAGSHI] https://instagram.com/userseef_albagshi/
Q&A Director Yousef Al-Bagshi
SANDARAH - directed by Yousef Albaghsi - was awarded in (VOYA) film festival in hollywood as the best short animation, also its won the spacial jury award in Argentina Festival, participated in (DIFF) Festival and (VIEW)Festival so far, and soon Sandarah is going to participate in Sharjah International Children’s Film Festival. (SICFF)
Q&A | YOUSEF ALBAGSHI
1. For our readers. Can you explain what Sandarah means? Sandarah is an old Kuwaiti word and it means the small storage that located above the bathrooms door. 2. What inspired you to develop such a film? Since my childhood i always influenced by the animations and that inspire me to be an animation filmmaker to influence the people by exposing a stories from our culture in our way. 3. How long did it take you to finish the film? I spend 1 year and 5 months to finish the film , including the idea. (duration: 7 min ) 4. Initially while growing up. Was there a special moment that made you want to start drawing? As far as I remember, I got interested in drawing since I was 5 years old and I never left the drawing ever since.
5. We love the film. We salute you on it. How has the feedback been from the viewers & will we see it in international film festivals? The feedback was very good a lot of people old and youth enjoy watching it and that based on two advantages : A. The film is made as an animation which is not common in our region . B. The film is based on true and famous story that happened during the Iraqi invasion 1990, and that touched the people so much . 6. Why did you choose for the film to be “Silent”? I decided to make Sandarah a silent film so it will become universal and reach the biggest number of viewers . 7. Are you working on anything now? Sandarah was my first step, and now I’m working on another film only this time I can almost assure you it will be more beautiful and more creative.
8.Visuals are the most effective tool to reach people especially the youth, will we see more work from you that has the same socio-political content? All what I’m trying to say is, where there is evil there is always good. It’s not about the politics but it is more about the humanity and the principles. 9.Tell Re-volt magazine something not a lot of people know about you I’m a pessimist guy most of the time, but there is sometimes when I become an optimist and I venture into doing something like Sandarah!
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[FOLLOW FROP & MUSO] https://www.facebook.com/FropandMuso
Street Art in Jeddah
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Q&A | LOBITO BRIGANTE
[FOLLOW LOBITO BRIGANTE] https://www.mixcloud.com/lobito/ https://www.facebook.com/lobitobrigante https://www.facebook.com/DeepCratesCartel/
LOBITO BRIGANTE A Break DJ spinning latin, funk and hip-hop
1. When did you get into DJing? What inspired you? I was moved deeply by music from a very early age, my family played a lot of jazz and classical at home, I remember collecting tokens when I was very young to get a CD and the last track on it was Public Enemy’s Fight The Power which I guess started my journey with Hip Hop. I remember going on a school trip to see the French film La Haine in my teens and seeing the scene with Cut Killer doing a juggling and scratching routine sealed my fate, it became something I had to do. I started collecting vinyl at the age 15 and have amassed a collection of 23,000+, I still haven’t made a full inventory but its at least that many and I just acquired 3000 from a collector who was selling his stock. I always loved sharing music and really its the music that makes us do it!! 2. What does Hip-Hop mean to you? How do you see the hip-hop scene in Dubai? Hip Hop is a culture more than 40 years deep, its way more than just rap. I’ve been representing Afrika Bambaataa’s Zulu Nation in the region since 2009 which is the organisation that started Hip Hop back in 1973, Bambaata is recognised as the godfather of the culture and Kool Herc as the father. So Hip Hop as a term should only be used in reference to the whole culture not just rap, which
means bringing together DJing, Breakin (media term breakdance), Aerosol Art (media term graffiti), MCing & Knowledge, these are the 5 elements according to the pioneers. For the general public and for the new generation it should be seen as a cultural movement, yes it has its commercial side and industry but the culture comes first and uplifting yourself and others around you, materialism is irrelevant. There is no such distinction of Old Skool & New Skool, modern producers such as No ID or Just Blaze or the late great J Dilla still sample records over 50 years old. As a pioneer once said: “Hip Hop didn’t invent anything but it re-invented everything” The Hip Hop scene in Dubai is still very young and the same goes for the region, you can trace the origins of most of the elements back only 10-15 years over here and its still developing. I know when I came nobody was talking about Hip Hop as a culture and that was only 2007, I’ve been told many times I was the first to push Hip Hop as a culture with all its components, yes there were bboys, yes there were DJs, yes there were MCs and Aerosol artists but nobody was trying to show the unity between those artforms and even now the focus is still largely on Rap or so-called Urban events which are more based on the ‘extreme sports’ side of things like skateboarding which is not related to Hip Hop as a culture.
Q&A | LOBITO BRIGANTE
3.You’re known to be a Bboy DJ. Whose your favourite BBoy and why? I would have to say Ken Swift due to his huge contributions to b-boy culture as a whole, its moves and preservation of the original artform, nobody has ever equalled his style or innovation from back in the days. I’m a fan of Born from MZK and Poe One of course and of the new generation even though hes already a veteran it would have to be El Niño, who is an absolute monster on the floor!
4.You’re also one of the few figures in the region that push Hip-Hop as a culture. What keeps you motivated to keep doing so? How challenging is it to change perceptions especially that you’re based in the Middle East? As I know you can relate to me personally, the struggle is most definitely real! Primarily because hip hop is so vast and inevitably the first contact people have with it is the commercial industry side they tend to see the misogynistic, materialistic or “gangster” side, so telling people that its a culture based on Peace, Unity, Love & Having Fun and originally stopped gang culture to turn members
from a negative lifestyle into a positive one is an uphill battle. I’ve always been a fighter and I’m a long time martial artist so the battle and the purity of my artform and the purity of the culture and its power for positive change keep me motivated. As we say in Zulu Nation EACH ONE TEACH ONE, Hip Hop culture changed my life and has given me a good living, artistic success, a roof over my head and a lifelong passion for music and the DJ artform so of course I will always want to share that and share the music. Arabic culture and Hip Hop culture are so deeply related from the calligraphy and history of Arabic poetry with the poetry battles that used to take place that I have no doubt that with collective effort it will become a core part of modern arabic culture and develop its own identity and hopefully acceptance of its multicultural history, Dubai is a great place to showcase international and local collaborations. 5.Tell us about your nicknames, you got a few nicknames around. Who gave you these nicknames? Which one is your favorite? Haha yeah my original name Lobito is actually a nickname I’ve had for a long time, as I’m a muticultural mix myself, my dad is Spanish although part Arab and my mum is from Zimbabwe so Lobito means “little wolf” in Spanish as I used to get into fights a lot for not being fully Spanish or fully anything really so I faced discrimination. Break DJ Lobito came around from one of my friends and inspirations James Leacy also known as Break DJ Leacy who was the best in the world at the time as a DJ for Bboys, I learned most of my craft from him as he was 10 years my senior as far as Bboy breaks, although I had already taught myself everything about how to DJ before I met him, I took the name Break DJ in his honour as he died in 2004 so he would never be forgotten, Ive since become friends with his brother Aidan who keeps Jims legacy alive and we’ve DJ’ed together in Dubai at an international Bboy battle I organised. My current artist name which I will produce under is Lobito Brigante, which is taken partly from my
favorite movie Carlitos Way and Brigar also means one who battles in Portuguese. I live close to Al Wasl street in Dubai so I’ve been called The Wolf of Wasl street before as well haha! I will always be Lobito maybe I will bill myself as Thu’aib if I play again more in Arab countries again haha 6. Is there any racism you face in getting gigs in Dubai given that you’re not a local DJ? The only obstacle I faced in Dubai was having made a name for myself in Europe and played alongside major acts like Pharoahe Monch, Dead Prez, Slick Rick, Jungle Brothers and many others as well as B-boy battles and then send all my work and mixtapes to promoters around Dubai to no response whatsoever so it forced me to turn into a scene creator as there were no nights that supported raw funk, classic hip hop, soul and all the other music that makes for a good Hip Hop night. There had also been no dedicated international level Bboy events so I had to go ahead and make that happen too which was a huge learning curve from someone who was used to just getting booked to play I had to make the events happen where I could actually play out! There is a lot of racism in Dubai as well as a close knit clique of promoters and im not the ass kissing type so had to start from scratch (haha)
Q&A | LOBITO BRIGANTE
7. Whose your fav DJ’s in Dubai? Well I have to be completely biased and name DJs in my crew as we have the only DJs who really play the spectrum of music I love from classic hip hop, futurebeat, reggae, afrobeat, latin, funk, soul and raw breaks. So to name a couple it would have to be Frezidante & Zajazza. Im currently working with Zajazza on a turntablist project. 8. Tell us about Deep Crates Cartel. When did it launch? Who are some of the names you guys were able to bring down to Dubai? Deep C rates started as community night where bboys, mcs, aerosol artists could all gather and it quickly grew into the largest collective of DJs, aerosol & street artists, mcs, bboys and hip hop heads in the region. Even though I’d been djing a lot in the region prior to that
Deep Crates started in 2010 when I met Frez at Mighty 4 Middle East which was the first international Bboy event and also Hip Hop culture event to happen in the region to the best of my knowledge, thats the origin point. We’ve been able to host Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest), Phonte (Little Brother), Shortkut (Beat Junkies), Aloe Blacc, Rich Medina (Rock Steady Crew/Zulu Nation), Cosmo Baker, Horace Andy (Reggae legend and vocalist for Massive Attack), Oddisee, People Under The Stairs, DJ Vadim and thats just to name a few!
9.You have been bringing true hip-hop artists to the DCC events you been arranging? How has the feedback and turn up? We’ve managed to get to a stage where we have a crowd who are open to our sound and as we all dig deep in the crates it basically means people who are open to new and old music they probably havent heard. I’ve been very strict to not underestimate our crowd but to play and support the music we Believe , sometimes DJs in the region have a habit of trying to “please the crowd” and play obvious tracks, of course we drop classics but we make sure we just play the music that moves us, no rules and across a lot of genres, for me true hip hop djing is not about playing rap records but its about any dope record from any genre dropped the right way and cut up. Hip Hop was based on reinventing old records and flipping them always looking for the perfect beat. 10. Who are you currently listening to? As far as new hip hop related music right now I’m listening to Joey Bada$$, Action Bronson, Fashawn, Anderson Paak,Flying Lotus, Czarface, BADBADNOTGOOD, Kaytranada to name a few and then other music Ive been checking out would be Arabic funk and breaks such as Fadaul which started my connection to Habibi Funk as the label owner is the only other person Ive met who had a copy of Fadaul’s 45s, I’ve been collecting rare funk, soul and breaks from the Middle East, Turkey & Iran for a while.
11. Who are your top 3 MC’s? Of all time? Tough! I would have to go with Rakim, Big Daddy Kane & Nas 12. DJ Lord (Public Enemy DJ) is set to make it to a DCC event in Nov. How did you guys approach him and how are you guys able to bring him down? Through sponsorship? Well we met at an event where I jammed with him and connected on a musical level, a turntablist skill level and on a martial arts level as well as a socio-political connect, hes a dope dude and a great party rocker. Some “band DJs” just dont cut it but DJ Lord tears it up so we had to get him down. All our events are self funded, generally we dont want to be slaves to a corporate sponsor, they can change the whole atmosphere of an event and I’m a great believer in having creative control so I only work with companies that can get on the same level and be creative, I also don’t support brands that I consider exploitative, culture vultures or generally bad for your health such as Red Bull. 13. What’s your dream? To have a collaborative forward thinking and empowered regional music scene which builds a loyal following of listeners of good music and gradually changes the formulas and played out commercialism of the mainstream. I dont drink from the mainstream, its generally polluted. 14. Tell re-volt magazine something not a lot of people know about you. I’m serving suckers like Wimbledon.
FEATURE | ELEPHEEL
ELEPHEEL
Designer - Illustrator - Writer - Musician 1.You got your own unique style when it comes to design. What inspired you to become one? I’ve been into art and drawing since I was a kid, so when I had to start thinking about a career, I almost immediately decided to pursue graphic design. I can’t imagine myself doing something for a living that I’m not at all passionate about.
I was once commissioned by an independent local magazine called F/I/M²/P (which stands for fashion, illustration, music, movies, photography) to provide illustrations for a piece on the television program “MTV: Unplugged”. So I decided to depict Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Lauryn Hill of The Fugees as they looked in the episodes on which they appeared, in my style of course.
2.You have designed a lot of crazy amazing illustrations and posters. Name 5 that you’re really proud of? In 2013, Edd Abbas, Lipos and myself released a collaborative album called “Tripnol”, and I got to do the album artwork for that. I liked the strange illustration I did for the cover, it’s very much my style and though it doesn’t relate literally to anything in the music, it does set the tone for the vibe we were going for with it.
I designed an illustration for a t-shirt contest where the theme was superheroes. I decided to make my submission about a pet peeve of mine: the way Lebanese people pronounce the name “Batman”, saying something closer to “Bawtman”. And since “bawt” is Arabic for “armpit”, this superhero everyone keeps referring to is essentially “Armpit Man”, and that’s what the visual depicts.
Hip Hop Baladi were planning yet another live showcase of local MCs, Baladiyat Vol. 3, which featured El Rass as a special guest. I remember working on a first draft of this poster and then suddenly realizing that I’ve been using almost the same exact layout for the event posters I make. So I scrapped it and came up with something drastically different, and the result was what you see here.
I don’t usually do a lot of fan art, but I’m a big fan of the movie “Shaun of the Dead”, so one day I decided to produce something as a tribute. What I ended up doing was illustrating the two main characters of the film, Shaun and Ed, carrying their signature weapons and surrounded by stylized zombie hands. The title of the poster is “You’ve Got Red on You”, which is a phrase that recurs in the film.
FEATURE | ELEPHEEL
FEATURE | ELEPHEEL
[FOLLOW ELEPHEEL] Art blog: http://elepheel.tumblr.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elepheel Twitter: https://twitter.com/elepheel SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/elepheel
4. Tell re-volt something not a lot of people know about you I’ve never done drugs.
3.You love Hip-Hop. What’s the vibe you associate yourself with? And who from the Lebanese rap scene you love listening to? In terms of hip hop, the vibe I mostly associate myself with is kind of old school and experimental. I like breakbeats and sampling a lot. From the Lebanese rap scene, I listen to Fareeq el Atrash, El Rass and Rayess Bek, among others.
5.You’re also a producer. tell us about that passion. when did you get into it, why & how? I don’t know anything about music and can’t play any instruments, but I’m very passionate about music, so I decided to try digital production, since I was into hip hop and electronic music and it seemed to be more accessible than learning an isntrument. I first experimented with making music a couple of times in my mid-to-late teens, playing around in software that was definitely not meant for music-making, such as Adobe Audition and Virtual DJ. I also had a small synthesizer I used to play around with called the KORG Kaossilator. However, I only seriously started producing music around 2011 when I began using Fruity Loops Studio (FL Studio) and downloading sample packs, then later sampling from actual vintage music. I like blending different styles, but since I can’t possibly learn to play every kind of instrument, sampling was the perfect way for me to bring my weird combinations to life and come up with all kinds of experimental vibes. I still can’t decide on a specific sound to this day, and I’ll probably always be known for that; not having one specific style.