Hip hop culture and globalization in Saudi Arabia

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()

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.

From a semiotic point-of-view, Joker Jr.'s songs are seen to be generally associated with the hip hop culture in the U.S. This is because of the ideals that are portrayed as suggested in the elements described. His target audience it not immediately known but it can be deciphered from his lyrics to be the youth who look up to and glorify rappers. He asks them not to misrepresent the ideals of the Arab world. A common appeal in his songs seems to be to refer to women regardless of their background or class using derogatory terms and to depict sexual stereotypes

Cross culture examination

Cultural borrowing is one aspect of cultural globalization that is identified. This is seen in the overlap of the Jeddah and Mecca hip hop culture and U.S. hip hop culture. Various aspects of the Jeddah and Mecca hip hop culture are borrowed from the U.S. hip hop culture. This is deemed to be so since the U.S. was the originator of the hip hop culture in the 1970s, much earlier than the 1990s when hip hop became popular in Jeddah and Mecca.

Authenticity within hip hop cultures has always been debatable. From the origins of hip hop in the 1970s, all those who adopted it strived to localize the culture in order to remain authentic. The same can be seen in Jeddah and Mecca where even though the artists have adopted the hip hop culture, it has been localized to their locale by adopting Arab dance styles and incorporating Arab language in their rap.

Censorship and the use of derogatory terms is also a similarity between the two hip hop cultures. Derogatory terms which are often referred to as profanity are common in both cultures and are represented by censorship of content through bleeping out the words or blanking them out. Violence is also common in both the U.S. And Jeddah and Mecca hip hop cultures though this is mostly portrayed as a way of political advocacy to prevent slavery and subjugation. Both rappers are seen fighting against oppression by the government be it political, social or economic as well as all forms of discrimination which threaten and harm the youth. They also advocate for development to help those living in poverty to come out of the 'ghettos'

Cultural biases also form part of both the U.S. And Jeddah and Mecca hip hop cultures. This comes from both rappers who attempt to use rap as a way of self-expression against feelings of discontent with life and hopelessness. Attempts are made to encourage the youth to know that poverty is not a life that they are meant to live with. These match with their advocacy for social services to be expanded and supported to provide more opportunities for those that are politically and economically disadvantaged.

Conclusion

As a result of the world becoming more globalized the hip hop culture in the U.S. is much similar to that in Jeddah and Mecca. Elements of the hip hop culture that were first seen in the U.S. hip hop culture are now being seen in the Jeddah and Mecca hip hop culture. All eight elements that were being analyzed in the study which were breakdancing, rapping, graffiti art, DJing, beatboxing, street fashion, street language or slang and street entrepreneurship are seen in the Arabian rappers.

Rap is therefore a form of expression and not just a way of life. Rappers in Jeddah are using rap music as a way to express their feelings and emotions as well as spreading messages to the youth on injustice, poverty, drug-use, violence and government corruption. Jeddah rappers have created a rap niche which they are comfortable with and which incorporates Arabic music and the Western, majorly U.S., rap culture. They have adopted styles, themes and rhythms which are more popularly used by the Western rappers and localized these with content and lyrics from their countries. This has enabled the Arab culture to be blended with U.S. hip hop culture to create Arab hip hop culture which fits the society and fulfills the needs of the target audience.

As a result of the majority of similarities seen between the Jeddah and Mecca hip hop cultures, there is need for efforts to be made to safe-guard children against violence that may stem from political incitement by these rappers as well as the use of derogatory terms that need to be censored from their lyrics. Rappers should also be supported to sing more respectful and supportive for the youth to grow stronger. Negative influences that come from commercialization of rap music should also be assessed and limited where possible to prevent these negative effects from harming the youth.