Rebel MC

But then you hear her sing. A luxurious voice of velvet tones, both mournful and mesmerising, swoops over Arabic phrases of loss and longing. It’s barely credible from the mouth of a 23-year-old. Shadia Mansour, born and raised in South London, has become one of the leading lights of the Arabic hip-hop scene – even dubbing herself the First Lady of Arab hip-Hop – and is now in New York recording some tracks and preparing for a series of shows across the country. She has worked with some of the main players in the scene, including former members of Public Enemy, and is highly-sought after on the expat Arab scene, whether in Europe or America.

Famous for performing in a traditional Palestinain thawb, often striding across the stage barefooted, she switches effortlessly between rap and song and is rapidly becoming a cultural phenomenon – and an ambassasdor, intentional or otherwise, for her country-in-waiting. 

 

Shadia Mansour: Just getting ready for a concert in San Francisco in a couple of days. I try to put all my work in the US in a lump, whether it’s performing or recording, so I can do it all at one go and avoid too much travelling. I’m in Harlem, New York right now.

 

Shadia: Well, actually. It’s a really cool place, although I haven’t done a lot apart from work and perform here. I’ve been a few times and never rerally done the tourist thing. But I like it, the people are great, but I can’t say I know to much about it. Actually meeting Arab-Americans and seeing how they live here is an interesting aspect.

 

Shadia: it wasn’t politics, or anger, or about promoting. I just loved the music when I heard it; and it’s not just about music, it’s an incredibly powerful cultural movement. Revolutionary music, it’s international and for everyone. 

 

Shadia: Yeah, actually. People got my message from day one, understood what I was trying to do. It was easy then just to be myself. Hip-hop is a great creative form. It gets all the bad PR and there are those who disrespect its message and its ideals and talk about guns and violence and all that, but that’s what I’m doing. I’m not ranting or raving, and I’m not hating or disrespecting anyone. But it is difficult being a Palestinian female doing this. But I have no problem with being outspoken – and I’m not afraid of the consequences. 

 

Shadia: Well, I’ve been singing for as long as I remember. There was always music in the house growing up, and I listened to the likes of Umm Kulthoum, Fairouz and Abdel Wahab, Sabah as well. Those people definitely formed who I am as a singer.As a matter of  fact, I don’t listen to any contemporary Arabic pop music – not out of disrespect, but it’s just not for me. 

Shadi: African-Americans certainly suffered from oppression and occupation, and I think that’s where a lot of hip-hop comes from. That’s why I only rap the truth. I think there are some Arab-American rappers who tell stories in their music that haven’t actually happened, or are trying to make to much of a protest and have got things twisted a little. 

 

Shadia: Well, I think in the cases you mention, there the kind of things that happen with big labels. There are too many strings attached. Major labels want to sell records fast, reflect trends, and don’t seem to invest. That’s why I’m doing things independently – and I make my music from nothing, literally, just from my influences and years of realisation of who I am and what I’m about. 

 

Shadia: A few. I performed in Jerusalem at a concert to welcome all of these aid worker volunteers who had come to Palestine to work in the refugee camps. But I’m definitely coming over again soon.