Hip Hop Culture in Saudi

Hip Hop Culture in Saudi Arabia

Culture and globalization

Culture which refers to the symbolic systems Williams 91()

through which human beings exist and coexist has been globalized by taking ideas, values and meanings across national borders through international travel and the Internet. These global shifts in culture are seen to be creating rapid social changes in the society with some proponents of culture being seriously dislocated Thompson 214.

Globalization is the homogenization of culture not just in a spatial but also in a temporal manner Thompson 211.

It is manifested in various ways such as business, religion, language, sports, music and even cuisine.

Culture is closely related to other items such as identity and subjectivity. As argued by Thompson (217)

culture creates social identities which individuals subject themselves to. It is argued that culture creates a distinction between the inside and outside of the social norms which the person would like to identify with. Multiple identities also exist where the individual may pick more than one identity which may be manifested at different times or to different people Thompson 217-18.

Globalization has been argued to break the territorial border of culture and ethnicities through contemporary migration such as city to city, and international migration to bring together people from different backgrounds Werbner and Modood 31()

which are then merged to localize the different cultures.

An argument is presented by Munoz-Laboy, Weinstein and Parker (615)

that cultural globalization is a long-term process that took place in the historical period and continues taking place today. This suggests that culture comes from traditions that are passed on from one generation to another. Through innovation, different cultures can be combined and merged for form a more localized culture that is based on others Williams 214.

This is what is referred to as 'multi culture.'

Cultural globalization is conceived as the integration of human activities from another region into the religious and cultural practices and language of a different region. In one sense, it is about transcending geographical, linguistic and social distance Silverstone 9()

towards adopting a new culture or aspects of a culture.

Methodology

The research question is "To what extent does globalization effect or reason for the creation of rap & hip hop Culture in the Western province in Saudi (Jeddah and Mecca)?" In order to answer this question, two major methods are used. The first is semiotics and the second is discourse analysis.

Semiotics

Semiotics is simply defined as the study of signs such as drawings, photographs, paintings, videos, sounds, words and body language in order to find emerging themes. In semiotics, three aspects are studied. These are semantics which is the relationship between the signs identified and their intended meaning, syntactics which finds the relationship between the signs and the formal structures used and the last is pragmatics which finds the relationship between the sign and the agents who use the signs Presmeg and Radford 268()

In the current study, the three aspects of semiology will be used to improve the design of the study as well as to compensate for the weaknesses of each of the three aspects of semiology. The video and photographs available on Jeddah rappers will be analyzed in relation to those of U.S. rappers in order to find common themes as well as differences. Aspects that will be analyzed include clothing, rap style, aspects of hip hop culture such as break dancing, DJing or turntablism and language. The cross-cultural nature of the rappers will also be analyzed through indexing these items and finding how they relate to each other.

Discourse analysis

Discourse analysis will also be used in this study. It involves studying and analyzing language use in order to find similarities and differences between the two cultures (U.S. hip hop and Jeddah hip hop culture). Discourse analysis will be important in ensuring that the lyrics used by the rappers are analyzed in a valid and reliable way to provide the results. The advantage of using the discourse analysis method is that it involves critical thinking and allows for the researcher to make judgment calls in a transparent manner. It also allows for creativity in performing the analysis and to change the analysis perspective as is deemed necessary for the particular study being conducted Rogers et al. 413()

Ensuring reliability and validity

In order to ensure validity and reliability of the study findings, eight elements of hip hop will be looked at in this analysis. These are breakdancing, rapping, graffiti art, DJing, beatboxing, street fashion, street language or slang and street entrepreneurship.

Literature review

History of Jeddah and Maccah

Jeddah was inhabited since the Stone Age period which is evidenced by artifacts and ancient 'Thamoudian' writings found in the east of Jeddah. It was founded more than two and a half centuries ago as a fishing village. Jeddah was known since the 646 AD as the official port of the Holy cities of Medina and Makkah (Mecca).

Today, it is still known as a port for pilgrims since it holds the Holy City of Mecca where thousands flock each year to perform Hajj. Local legend states that the city got its name 'Jeddah' meaning grandmother from the burial of Eve. The graveyard or Hawa Cemetery as it is known still exists though is out of bounds to all non-Muslims. Old stories state that Adam and Eve came to live in Jeddah after being expelled from the Garden of Eden. It is believed that Eve visited Adam in Makkah or Mina while in Jeddah. The story also recounts Eve's death and her burial in a tomb which could be seen from Bab Medina and that was able to withstand the test of time till 500 years ago when the wall was demolished to pave way for expansion of the city Serjeant 194()

Today Jeddah is a modern metropolis with admirable buildings, palaces, homes and streets. The city has over 1.5 million inhabitants and has a long standing history of being a major center for commerce in the Arabian Peninsula. Roughly two thousand five hundred years ago, it was only a small village that was home to the Quda'a tribe who were majorly fishermen. Jeddah has since been known to facilitate trade between Mediterranean and Eastern Countries Abu-Ghazzeh 53()

General information on Al Hijaz

Al Hijaz or Hejaz is the western region of Saudi Arabia bordering the Red Sea and Jordan. The main city is Jeddah which is known for the Islamic Holy cities of Medina and Mecca (Makkah). The Hejaz holds high significance in the Arab and Islamic politics and history as a result of these two Islamic holy places. It is though that from the story of the Garden of Eden, the whole land of Havilah through which the first head of the river that flowed out of Eden went is now the Arabian Peninsula with the Hejaz Mountains.

The immigrant communities that resided in the Hejaz

As a result of the Hejaz region having two holy cities, the region underwent through numerous empires before becoming the center of the Caliphate. The Caliphate was an Islamic state that was led by a supreme religious and political leader referred to as a caliph which literally meant successor. It was believed that a caliph was a successor to prophet Muhammud. Years later, its capital was then moved to Damascus. During this time, it was controlled by immigrants from Egypt and the Ottoman Empire before the early 20th century when the region underwent political independence. Many current inhabitants of the Hejaz region consider themselves Umayyads to the Ottomans Steele 20()

Culture history

Jeddah and Mecca which are in the Heyaz region are majorly Arabic and Warabi Islam settings. This means that most historical culture is shared between the regions. The city is deeply rooted in Islamic teachings and Arabic customs stemming from the early ages. Arabic traditions are key highlights of the lives of people living in Jeddah and Mecca. These include age-old traditions such as generosity to strangers, hospitality, the coffee culture and burning of incense which is a welcome sign for guests Gana 26()

In terms of Music, Saudi Arabia is most known for participation in the Al Ardha which is the country's national dance. However, the sword dance is also popular in the region and is especially done with Al-sihba folk music which has its origin from the al-Andalus. In Mecca and Jeddah especially, song and dance are incorporated into the sound of the mizmar which is a woodwind instrument that look like an oboe. The popular dance in the region is the mizmar dance. Drums are also important instruments with Samri being one of the popular forms of music and dance that is played using drums. Dancing is based on rhythmic stepping, stomping and jumping in synchronization with the drum beats Gana 31()

Before hip hop emerged as a music genre in Jeddah and Arabia in general, Arab-Americans were the only individuals who were involved in hip hop. American hip hop began to become popular in Arabian countries in the early 1990s with Northern African Arabs who mostly resided in France at the time being the first to enjoy the hip hop genre Gana 37()

Hip hop groups began to emerge in the mid to late 1990s some of which were claimed to be Wu-Tang Clan affiliates. Saudi Arabia is known as the home to the hip hop group, Dark2Men, who competed in MTV Arabia's Hip Hop Na reality show. Break dancing has also become popular as a pastime in the region. Though the exact music distribution and sales numbers are difficult to establish, there is huge listenership especially in satellite TV and radio Gana 45()

Hip hop culture in the U.S.

Hip hop has been a part of America and especially the U.S. since the early 1970s when it started as a street subculture in the South Bronx area of New York Demers 41.

It was known to have four elements which were rap music, turntablism which is more popularly known as DJing, break dancing and graffiti art. The hip hop culture was more commonly associated with poverty and violence as a result of the conflict between their style and the authority or law. This conflict is thought to have led to the growth of the culture J. Chang 12()

Hip hop was first a form of self-expression upon which groups could reflect and proclaim alternatives to the status quo. There were also attempt to change the status quo through stability and coherence to the hip hop culture. This was directly embedded in rap music. Other pillars of the culture included MCing and B-boying (bad-boying or breakdance-boying). The hip hop culture spread rapidly to other urban and suburban communities throughout the U.S. And rapidly expanded to other forms such as rhythmic beats made by looping breaks on two turntables, juggling and beatboxing which was a technique used to make beats using the mouth.

Today, hip hop is appreciated by a broader demographic and media critics are more socially and politically conscious of the hip hop culture. It has grown and has been commercialized by groups all over the country J. Chang 18()

Social impact of hip hop culture in the U.S.

Hip hop has been known to have many social impacts on the society. One is that it has created avenues for mass communication within ghettos. The hip hop culture has been used to create influences on the youth especially in the ghettos by supplying messages such as spread of diseases and anti-racist messages. The culture has come to be recognized by economic and political individuals and organizations as the best way to appeal to the disenfranchised youth Cook 106()

Hip hop has also changed the language majorly by developing a distinctive slang that is associated with the culture. Slang words are popularized through rap music in what is referred to as hip hop lyricism which has gained legitimacy in literary and academic circles. Some academics compare satirical works of poets which use mood and imagery to portray the message to hip hop lyricism. They state that hip hop lyricism uses imagery, metaphors, irony, diction, tone and point-of-view as the major ways to portray the message. Just like other literary works can be analyzed for plot, motif and character development, hip hop can also be analyzed in the same way Stokes 170()

Product placement has also been an impact of the hip hop culture and is one way through which the hip hop culture has been commercialized. In order to effectively market their products in ghettos where the hip hop culture is embedded, companies or organizations have had to use strategies such as paying rap musicians to become the faces of the products.

A good example of this is when McDonalds used rappers to advertise their products in their lyrics. Another example is when Busta Rhymes was paid to make a song to popularize Courvoisier Herd 1259.

Other companies have adopted other strategies such as adding graffiti on their packaging. Rappers have also delved into the business world with good examples being Dr. Dre with his Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, 50 Cent's Vitamin Water, Jay Z's Izod clothing line and many others.

The hip hop culture has also impacted education. As a result of the successful embedding of the culture in the society, organizations and schools are finding themselves forced to explore the culture and teach it in various ways. Dance studies are teaching break dancing while universities such as Harvard offer classes and hip hop lectures. Others have also made efforts to collect and exhibit historical aspects of the hip hop culture Jeff Chang 64()

Herd (1259)

also reports changes in alcohol use as a result of rap and the hip hop culture. This is as a result of synergistic marketing relationships that were formed between rap musicians and some alcohol brand manufacturers in an attempt to increase the commercialization of the rap music industry Herd 1259.

Marketing of alcohol in rap music has joined other trends such as marketing of foot wear, cars, food, clothing, and other hip hop aesthetics in order to increase sales Herd 1259.

Another reason for change in alcohol use as a result of the hip hop culture is that rap music depicts alcoholism as a norm and encourages beliefs and behaviors regarding alcoholic use among the youth Herd 1259()

The case

Introduction to Mecca Rap

Rap in Jeddah and Mecca came from the early adopters of the hip hop culture in the greater Arabian world who were Moroccans, Algerians and Palestinians. The Arabian hip hop culture was closely inspired by Western hip hop culture particularly in the United States and especially groups such as Wu-Tang Clan and Public Enemy. It is thought that the hip hop culture in the Arab world was as a result of the youth attempting to find ways to raise their voices in order to be heard. The genre has become popular really fast since the early 1990s when it first began and its influence on the society as a whole has been remarkably large.

It is believed that Arabs in the diaspora were responsible for bringing the hip hop culture to the Arabian world. This is because they were able to see similarities between the youth in the diaspora with those in the Arab world in aspects such as discrimination, disenfranchisement, violence and poverty. These are the major topics that are reflected in rap music especially in Jeddah and Mecca.

Long before the people living in Jeddah and Mecca became literate, Arabic poetry was a tradition and this is what was expanded into the modern rap world. Rap duels have become more popular with skilled poets being lauded in the hip hop world. However, their poetry majorly focused on religious elements as a result of the two Holy cities of Mecca and Medina being in Jeddah. However, the elements of creativity in writing and singing could be seen.

Rappers traditionally were known to use clothes such as baseball caps and baggy pants as the norm and they were often seen with a microphone in their hand. The rap culture in Jeddah was also a product of globalization and localization. Though it was inspired and modeled after the U.S. hip hop culture, much of the current hip hop culture is localized to Jeddah. Rappers have taken the cultural aspects of Jeddah into consideration in their rap and this can be seen in the religious nature of their rap and addressing issues facing the Arab world specifically.

Rappers in Jeddah have also incorporated Arabic dance styles into their culture. In the realization that rap music attracts huge audiences, they have used rap music to pass messages to the youth. Though the rap scene in Jeddah can be seen to be much younger compared to that in other Arabian countries such as Algeria and Palestine, it has developed greatly and is not just an imitation of American rap. Arabic slang which is unique to Jeddah is used and there are segments of the society which the music is targeted.

Socially responsible rappers have emerged who help spread social messages on the importance of taking pride in the Arabian cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia through incorporating folk songs with fresh beats and Arabian dances. Jeddah rappers also use linguistic intermingling in a creative way by ensuring that there is an overlap between their rap and Saudi folk traditions, songs, and dances.

It is argued that the hip hop culture in Jeddah is highly transnational and collaborative in nature. This is because it encompasses various elements such as resistance to capitalism, colonial and neocolonial attitudes and creates contributory solutions to society and economic problems.

Ayzee (Jeddah)

Ayzee is a rapper of African origin from Jeddah. According to his profile, he claims to have been in love with music since his early years. He loved dancing, singing and writing music. His rap music represents respect for society and women. He states that his music is majorly aimed at changing the mindset of musicians to bring out the best in them. His musical influences include Boyz 2 Men, Ray Charles, Prince, Al Green, Michael Jackson and Joe Thomas.

The elements that are seen in Ayzee's music are rapping, slang, DJing, graffiti, street fashion and street language. Slang that is in his lyrics includes derogatory terms such as 'shit', 'liquor hole' and 'dawg' or 'dog'. His songs majorly focus on talking about making life better for him and his girlfriend and also giving hope to the youth in the slums to continue fighting for survival. Street fashion seen in the videos includes baggy trousers, baseball caps and fashionable clothing.

Aspects of imagery, irony and tone are seen in his lyrics which help to portray the message. In his rap, the signifier-signified relationship is one of hope and success. This is seen where he likens success in life to a spaceship which soars over the earth. His songs suggest that there is naturalness in his voice and that he portrays the ability of each individual in the country to succeed despite challenges that will be faced. In most of his songs, he is seeing occupying a central position as individuals dance behind or on his side. There is no prevailing color that predominates his song videos though there is no doubt that there is a green overtone on most of them.

Joker Jr. (Mecca)

Joker Jr. is a rapper from Mecca. He mostly raps in English and Arabic and is a hip hop legend from Saudi Arabia. The elements that are seen in Joker Jr.'s rap videos are those of break dancing, rapping, graffiti on walls, DJing, street fashion, slang language, and street entrepreneurship. There is use of words such as 'hood' and 'homey' which are slang for ghetto and friend respectively. As argued by Hunter (15)

, slang is one of the most important elements of the hip hop culture. There is also use of derogatory terms such as 'motherfucker', 'whores', 'bull shit', 'bitches' and 'nigga' which are common slang in the U.S. hip hop culture.

In addition, there is some graffiti that is seen on walls. In terms of clothing, most people in the videos are seen wearing baseball caps and they also have half buttoned shirts and baggy pants. They are also seen wearing fashionable sunglasses. Joker Jr. is also seen holding a walking stick which is commonly referred to as a 'pimp' stick in the hip hop culture. The pimp stick is often associated with power and the one holding it is seen as a powerful individual in the culture. Street entrepreneurship and DJing is also seen in the videos.

The language used in the videos can also be deemed to be similar to that which is common in U.S. hip hop culture. His songs majorly focus on calling female gangsters 'whores' and talking about lower class citizens. He also talks about different territories and glorifies the west side (Mecca). Other emerging aspects of the hip hop culture include electronic gaming, living life large as is evidenced in the houses having big screen TVs and leather seats as well as owning classy 'souped up' cars.