Hip-Hop Culture in the US and Jeddah

¶ … globalization effect or reason for the creation of Hip-Hop Culture in the Western province in Saudi (Jeddah)?

Saudi Arabia is a country of variety and as of recently, hip-hop. The hip-hop culture of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia's western province, is a culture that signifies not only a new trend of music and interests never seen before in the area, but also an embrace of modern symbols, meaning, and language that could have a connection to the large forces of globalization from the like American hip-hop culture and street life. Semiotics, put simply, is the study of signs. These signs may include photographs, paintings, drawings, words, sounds, and body language. The analysis of the signs within hip-hop and hip-hop culture then leads to an understanding of the various meanings behind it.

This paper will focus on three rappers from Jeddah and compare them to U.S. rappers to find difference and common themes. Characteristics of hip-hop culture like rap style, clothing, break dancing, turntablism, Djing, and language will also be examined. Indexing of the cross-cultural nature of the chosen Jeddah rappers will allow the reader to make connections and relations regarding them. Much like semiotic analysis, discourse analysis will also help with further analysis on the language street fashion, street entrepreneurship, graffiti art, among other things to better understanding on hip-hop culture. The rappers discussed are Slow Moe, Qusai, Ayzee.

"Saudi Entertainers" an article featured in the magazine, Destination Jeddah, ran an article on Ayzee Hawasi. The article shares Ayzee's focus as an artist and his need to express himself vs. simply living the life of successful rappers and musicians. For him, music, like with other artists like Slow Moe is meant to show his perspective on the world, his environment, and to show respect and love for his country. Even in his music it is not meant to annoy or rebel. It is purely meant to highlight his thoughts and beliefs as well as his voice as a youth in Saudi Arabia.

To begin, Ayzee Hamza Hasawi is a born and raised Saudi Arabian from Jeddah. He is what some consider the barometer of hip-hop music for Saudi Arabia. Although he is a singer, a lot of what he represents matches with the ideals in Saudi Arabia of hip-hop culture. He appears similar to the rappers of the United States in the way he dresses and presents himself albeit not as sexualized nor verbally vulgar as the former. Ayzee became well-known in Saudi Arabia thanks to the collaborations he's had with the likes of Omar Basaad, his crew, J Fam, and Qusai. His style represents things that matter most to him as he integrates style, music, and culture into one citing his mother was one of his biggest supporters.

His first EP is titled: "First Words" and with this EP he planned to show the world who he is as a rapper and what he wants to achieve for Saudi Arabia in terms of hip-hop. His music choices like: "You Don't have to go Home" evokes a sense of R&B with the allure and fashion sense of hip-hop. In the video he has on the backwards facing cap, the white t-shirt and is standing in a nonchalant manner amidst a black backdrop however there is absent a number of things one would typically see in a western hip-hop or R&B video. There are no "hoes" or women in scantily clad outfits gyrating provocatively in front or near him. There is no alcohol or drug use as Sharia's law prohibit consumption of these things in Muslim culture.

However, the attitude and demeanor of this young hip-hop star still evokes what hip-hop culture embodies, confidence, strength, and swagger. Some American rappers like Mos Def have made a difference with their work, rapping with songs that serve a purpose other than to entertain and entice. (Alim, 34) Much like Mos Def, Ayzee wishes to put his thoughts and objectives within his music to make a difference and not just reach status and prestige unlike so many American rappers do today. Ayzee also states in several interviews that he has yet to find his niche. He does not want to be labeled solely a singer or rapper.

An important aspect of Ayzee that makes him part of hip-hop culture is his stint in a dance crew. The dance crew is what sparked his interest in music and therefore his motivation to reach out to the world. It started with simple recordings that piqued the interest of his friends and acquaintances. Much like the mixtapes of American rap artists, Ayzee recorded and compiled his own music early on.

His first hit, "Theme of Life," yielded him critical and global fame through placement of his song and name amongst iTunes universal artists. Omar Basaad, the youngest electronic dance music producer in Saudi Arabia, produced the track. Similar to some songs by Chris Brown, he uses eclectic beats and simple melodies with soulful and easy-going English verses. He sings but does not rap however his style of dress, collaborations with rappers like Qusai, lend to his hip-hop culture credentials.

Qusai Kheder is regarded as the first hip-hop artist to emerge in Saudi Arabia. His songs are clean cut with no foul language or foul images. He dresses in the way professional, modern rappers do in America, with ties, sweaters, and sunglasses. In videos he shows the traditional aspects of Saudi culture but mixes with it traditional hip-hop flow and beat. Qusai's "The Job" is one such video where modern hip-hop mixes with traditional Saudi culture.

The music in the job sounds very similar to common Saudi music with the instrumental sounds in the background. There are no women seen in the video and the men at work wear head covers in order to show respect for Allah. When the men enjoy themselves they use lasers in a dance club setting and show the beautiful landscape of Saudi Arabia. The scene with everyone on a boat and men wearing traditional garb does a great job of showing what exists within Saudi Arabia and how it translates into hip-hop from their perspective.

Unlike American hip-hop and rap artists where women are extensively featured in music videos, promoting strong sexual content, this video seems more family friendly, kid friendly than its American counterparts. The setting seems relaxed, even times comical. Towards the end the men are in a line clapping and it seems like the main point that comes across from the music video is work, friendship, connection, and family. To a Saudi Arabian, these are treasured and important aspects of life that should be revered and upheld.

Hip Hop has a long history of community. The people within hip hop show their respect for one another and the culture by creating music and events that support unity. However negative the press or the media has made or turned hip hop, it still remains as a great way to express one's self and promote unity. The lyrics in some hip hop songs evoke strong emotions and that can be said of Qusai. Although the subject matter in his videos appear very tame in relation to American standards of hip-hop with absence of street fashion and hip-hop dance moves such as breaking and mc'ing, it still serves it purpose to showcase Saudi Arabia and the unity of its people.

Saudi Arabia has, for quite some time been hesitant to adopt standards. They are either hesitant or afraid of the consequences seeing as the United States is in turmoil as of late. However, more and more Saudi Arabians are witnessing the positive effects of hip hop in community and in culture as it gives voice to the disenfranchised and the excluded. It is an avenue for expression whether fashion wise or lyrically, hip hop is a great means of expression.

The last rapper to be examined is Slow Moe who appears to be what many hip hop artists in America are. His rhymes are rougher and deliver more like the standard American rappers and his music videos are grittier representing Saudi street life vs. Qusai who represents traditional Saudi views. He shows the world how a westernized Saudi rapper looks, yet still holding on to the integrity of his people and culture. Slow Moe shows city life in Jeddah along with the street fashions of his peers in music videos highlighting the youth and street culture of Saudi Arabia.

His music videos look like American hip hop videos and at times it seems as though they were filming in America vs. Saudi Arabia. He is able to not only invoke the modern Saudi Arabian, but also the American hip hop mentality. He is a true hybrid of Western and Saudi hip hop. The music from his songs are fast, original, and have hook and chorus very similar to hit American hip hop songs like "Black and Yellow." He uses nice cars, friends, and implements Saudi identity with his lyrics.

Like the other rappers in Jeddah, he does not use women in his video to represent anything vulgar. In fact no women were ever seen in any of the videos as it is often frowned upon to see single women and men together especially women singing and dancing. Even with modern Saudi Arabians, certain beliefs still hold firm and Slow Moe does his job in keeping sexuality and drug use away from his material instead focusing on political and social aspects of his culture and hip hop identity.

Globalization has taken root in Saudi Arabia. It can be seen through the hip hop artists of Jeddah as well as through certain trends recently developing like increased internet usage and e-commerce within Saudi Arabia. Globalization as a whole has influenced a country normally free from outside influences to embrace things outside of their known world. Things like anime and music have developed a following within Saudi Arabia as the Saudi Arabian youths are exposed to the variety of entertainment outside of Saudi Arabia.

What brings forth such newly diversified interests is development in infrastructure that leads to more internet users. The internet exposes people to a plethora of information and current events that not only offer enlightenment for individuals, but also options. People are no longer left with singular exposure to events, music, and movies. Now the whole world is open to them. So why has hip hop taken hold? What aspect of hip hop culture compels artists like Slow Moe to seek expression in this medium?

Hip hop as most people know is a culture fueled by disenfranchised youth. (George 34) Its origins date back to America, specifically New York City, Bronx, in the early 1970's. The first rappers rapped about street life and the hardships of living impoverished in the city. Parties were the best place to showcase their skills and young rappers and mc's who wished to make something of themselves would demonstrate their talents in amateur rap battles. Soon other aspects of the culture emerged from beat boxing to break dancing.

Break dancing became popular all throughout the 80's and 90's in America. From the ghettos of the Bronx to the suburbs of Chicago, kids saw breakdancing as a means of expression and exercise. It was a way to meet new people, learn new skills, and if they were good enough, make a name for themselves in Hollywood. Breaking became so popular, movies and documentaries sprang up illustrating the raw power and charisma of break dancers with dance crews forming and appearing on TV shows. Pretty soon they would battle each other and create another aspect of hip hop culture known as street fashion or gear.

If any one person wanted to be considered cool, they had to get the right gear. Baggy shirts, jeans, and sneakers became the norm for a lot of the hip hop people of back in the day. Modern day hip hop has evolved and although a lot of hip hop artists still wear baggy clothes and sneakers, some like Jay-Z and Kanye West have added sophistication and formality to their wardrobe choices. In fact hip hop is now seen as a business and not just an artistic expression and culture.

Many artists in today's hip hop engage in entrepreneurial activities. The most notable is Jay-Z who founded the clothing line Roca Wear and has a net worth of $520,000. It is in him people see how artists within hip hop engineer a living for themselves as well as generate a viable business with the music they produce. They are able to form a brand with their music, the clothes they wear, their movement in videos and performances that can be marketed to the masses.

In an article by Skold, he focuses on artists like Jay-Z and how through analysis of the rapper's lyrics. "Carter handles this dialectic, positing entrepreneurship as both a politics and an ethic, and how we, by reading his lyrics, are led to some forgotten localities in academic research -- the disenfranchised, urban, marginalized, entrepreneurial "hood." (Skold 50-78) The article deals with hip hop and its music within two separate discourses in which artists like Jay Z. consistently occupy. One such meaning discussed is the meaning of "thug life" or "the hustle." Jay-Z himself has revealed selling drugs a means of making money.

Rappers like 50 Cent confessed to being shot multiple times driving home their "gangster" identity and their need to make it even through illegal or dangerous means. The whole perception of "thug life" of being "gangster" has long been engrained in hip hop since the mid-90's thanks to west coast gangsta rap. These rap songs dealt with violence, cops, death, even darker subjects like rape and murder. As Skold explains, the lyrics within hip hop songs deal with life but in a fantastical way illustrating the struggle and pain amidst a disenfranchised minority. "It also deals with the way that one, in these, can find a dialectic between the special and the mundane, between succeeding -- makin' it -- and remaining loyal to the values of your community or culture -- keeping it real" (Skold 50-78)

Once someone from such a minority is then catapulted to success, the new struggle emerges from attempting to remain genuine and loyal to the neighborhood they originated from yet still succeeding and branching out. One can easily see this in the Jeddah rappers and singers of Saudi Arabia. They perhaps at one point were disenfranchised and are expressing themselves to earn success at the same time still keeping true to their roots. Slow Moe for instance shows the pain and struggle of his own life but also reminds the audience he is Saudi, this is his city, and these are his people.

Community is a big part of hip hop and one of the reasons why hip-hop culture is so prevalent today. It offers people means of connecting through song, dance, fashion, and even business. Modern day hip hop has moguls like Jay Z. connecting with businessmen, political figures, and world famous actors. The whole world has opened up to hip hop with people like Will Smith becoming successful in hip hop and acting. It is because of these great and successful men that hip hop has reached countries like Saudi Arabia.

All kinds of music come into Saudi Arabia and other counties. Depending on how centered a country is, it may take them a couple of decades. Because Saudi Arabia has had a history of being strict with certain music and music genres, hip hop just began to emerge within Saudi Arabia. And just like hip hop emerged in Saudi Arabia, Islam has emerged in hip hop and the black community.

Black American singers and rappers have recently begun to draw resources from other cultures in order to develop their identities of self within the black community. In a paper by Khan, the author explores music by a black American by the name of Scarface, who has recognized spiritual hybridity as the circumstance of possibility for developing individual and communal black communities' individualities in a globalized cultural framework. "The songs of Scarface have been sampled because they all proclaim a relation with Islam, whether in practice or through the songs created. Therefore, purposive sampling has been used as the method or unit of analysis." (Khan 94) A growing number of people in American hip hop are forming connections to the words and wisdom of Islam so much so that some of the ideals expressed in Islam are finding their way into songs by now converted Islamic artists.

Rappers like Ice Cube, Busta Rhymes, DJ Khaled, have all embraced Islam and slowly changed their perspective on life with even Busta Rhymes making a song titled: "Arab Money" to showcase his interest in Muslim culture. Khan goes on to explain that religion has influenced hip hop now for the last decade and transformed some of it into what can be palatable to Saudi youths. Brother Ali's song "Mourning America" is not a typical booty shaking hip hop video. It is highly political and features Muslim imagery with a critique on how negative America has become in relation to youth, power, and sex. Khan explains there still exists academic debate to that relates to how religion or spirituality has organized and clarified the experiences of American hip-hop artists. "Its converse also relates to how the singers have selectively appropriated some concepts from Islam and transformed them in their composition to arrive at new levels of defining the self within the black communities using the cultural and spiritual grip provided by Islam and Christian values." (Khan 94)

What is Islam? How does it affect exposure to western music and why is it more and more American rappers and hip hop artists are turning to it as a spiritual means of enlightenment? In a book titled: What everyone needs to know about Islam, writer Esposito shares what is Islam and the impact of Sharia's law on a Muslim's everyday life. On page 114 he states: "Some Muslim parents, like many non-Muslims, object to much Western music, particularly rock music and hip-hop, because of the emphasis of the lyrics on sex, drugs, alcohol consumption, and violence." (Esposito 114) Similar to how parents in suburbs and religious communities within the United States, Muslims in Saudi Arabia object to the negative often highly sexualized actions of hip hop artists in music videos.

Just like viewers see in videos by Jeddah artist, Muslims do not want to show sex, drug or alcohol consumption within their culture. They are very strict with showing anything that could be seen as sexual. A lot of these traditions and ideologies are based on Sharia's law. Sharia or Shariah's law is fundamentally rooted in Muslim culture and is the ideals depicted and written in the Qu'ran. Shariah's law is deeply embedded in Islamic society, especially in regards to family law. "However, family law, which is viewed as the "heart of the Shariah" and the basis for a strong, Islamically oriented family structure and society, has remained intact in most Muslim countries" (Esposito 142) This could explain why hip hop took so long to reach countries like Saudi Arabia.

To a Muslim, hip-hop represents everything wrong when it is seen through the lens of unfamiliarity. However, hip hop as analyzed through semiotics can show the meaning behind such a culture and what the usage of lyrics and clothes truly mean within the community. In an article by Morgado, hip-hop style takes center stage as the author analyzes what some would perceive as a contentious and provocative way of dress form so often linked with rap music and hip hop culture in the 1990s. The author interprets and analyzes this style of dress using structural methodologies to semiotics. "The semiotic system is isolated in time, and three coding operations are considered in terms of the relationships they establish between elements of the system and potential meanings ascribed to these: paradigmatic alignment (bipolar opposition), denotation and connotation (literal and extended descriptions), and figurative devices (implied figures of speech)." (Morgado 131) The results within the article demonstrate the construction of the system in regards to dialectic dancing between signs in conventional dress and dress within the hip-hop system.

Mechanisms of the instruction system of conservative dress are uncovered, and figurative language ancillary to the hip-hop system is illustrated. "The hip-hop system is construed as an example of a larger category of appearance-related systems designated extraordinary dress, poised in opposition to ordinary appearance forms. Implications include potential contributions to theory development." (Morgado 131) Things like baggy pants and baggy t-shirts mean within hip hop, casual attitude, and gangster. Conventional dress is the opposite with use of khakis and dress shirts. In fact, use of dress shirts in the hip hop community is a recent addition as many hip hop artists continued to stress in "street clothes" long after they reached a level of success to afford conservative and sophisticated clothing.

In a paper by Maxwell, the author bases field work within the Hip Hop Community of Sydney and examines material processes for which 'cultural' meaning is expressed to a figure of fundamental practices, explicitly, break-dancing, graffiti, and rapping. "I argue that these practices are understood, within the scene, as being aesthetic practices, which operate to mimetically 'represent' a pre-existing cultural essence -- Hip Hop." (Maxwell 50) Using a Peircian semiotic model, the author contends that management of such performances in regards to important Hip Hop practices adds meaning over time, amongst people of the Hip Hop community. Not only that it also confirms identity, creates identity, and sustain community. "…affirm the legitimacy, authenticity and reality of the idea of Hip Hop." (Maxwell 50)

In an online article by Jeff Chang, Chang concisely deliberates the history of Hip-Hop. "The best artists share a desire to break down boundaries between "high" and "low" art -- to make urgent, truth-telling work that reflects the lives, loves, histories, hopes, and fears of their generation. Hip-hop is about rebellion, yes, but it's also about transformation."(Chang) The article highlights why hip hop is so popular and why it became globalized. His first paragraph discusses Chinese rappers dressed in the typical hip hop style. He even goes on to talk about cipher and the meaning behind it as it fuels the continuing theme of transformation and movement. "If you have the guts to step into the cipher and tell your story and, above all, demonstrate your uniqueness, you might be accepted into the community. Here is where reputations are made and risked and stylistic change is fostered." (Chang)

So many times people wonder how hip hop could spread, even in areas as strict as Saudi Arabia. In its roots, in its foundation hip hop is about connection, community and as Chang points out, transformation. Break dancing for example, transforms a normal looing teenage boy or girl into a wind milling super star. Rap turns a shy kid with self-esteem issues into a worldwide hustler. And to top it all off, hip hop connects people to themselves and each other, providing a basis for identification, common ground, and reinvention.

Additionally, Chang further argues contends that Hip-Hop has now become commercialized, turning into a business more so than an art form. Before, hip hop was strictly about community, now it's a means of getting out of the ghetto, or out of the monotony of live and living a life of luxury and prestige. He labels this as: "Luxurious product famous rappers." "This rampant commercialism is often at odds with hip-hop's outsider ethos. In Kenya, for instance, two differing visions -- one as a resistance culture oriented toward social justice, the other as a popular culture focused on commodity capitalism -- may be increasingly headed toward a reckoning." (Chang) Even with the business mindset of industry execs and celebrity rappers, Chang still believes hip hop serves as voice for the oppressed. He views hip hop as a means of unification of community and the homegrown. Saudi artists for instance, feel some level of oppression, rapping about it, this helps them deal with the struggle. They also know they can make money from and get famous for rapping and being involved in hip hop which motivates many new and up and coming artists.

Another article discusses what hip hop is and goes into further detail of its origins. "…comprised of four elements: MCing (rapping), DJing, graffiti art, and breaking (break dancing). These four elements emerged in the South Bronx in the early 1970s after a decade of gang warfare, state violence, so-called "urban renewal" policies, and general abandonment." (Hunter 15) Hunter sets up what caused the beginnings of the hip hop movements and does an excellent job of portraying why it became an underground success. Hunter states hip hop was a way in which the youth of impoverished areas could connect and communicate with each other and the world. This is one aspect as to why hip hop has become globalized. Many youths throughout the world seek to find a voice within an art form and to express themselves and be a part of a community. That is why hip hop is so compelling. However there is also the business aspect that further propels it.

"In the logic of millennial late capitalism rap music now sells much more than songs, sex, or politics. Rap music sells a "lifestyle." This "lifestyle product" is created through the countless commodities now associated with hip-hop." (Hunter 16) Hunter argues that due to Hip-hop's recent focus on entrepreneurship and marketing, many hip hop artists have clothing brands in stores and perfume lines, ie, Nikki Minaj, it has generated a culture experienced primarily through consumption rather than production. She explains how even though Hip-hop started as a practice of young blacks and Puerto Ricans in New York in the 1970s, it has evolved and changed to becoming a commodity sold to the community for a substantial profit to music executives. Because hip hop has become such a successful means of making money, business and companies have extensively marketed it making it viewable even in the most technologically remote areas of the world. Almost everyone in the modern world knows about hip hop because businesses have advertised images and aspects of hip hop to generate sales. Hunter continues illustrating the importance of this "lifestyle" rap music sells, one with cars, money and women, all of which are male oriented. Hip hop in one way or another has become a consumerist culture being mass marketed.

Even though commercialization and reinvention of hip hop has created fans obsessed with the "good life," that still does not appear to be the sole reason why people in Saudi Arabia like hip hop. It could influence it, but considering the subject matter and the depth of meaning within these artists songs and lyrics, hip hop to them seems more like they was it had originally been, a voice for the oppressed. Ayzee himself has stated that the luxurious life rappers have of excess is not what his music is about. In fact rappers of Jeddah do not wish to simply live the way rappers live, but rather share the ways of Islam and Saudi Arabia to foreigners much like American rappers have to them.

In a study by Cook, the author researches the link between technology and communication. "Research to date on the relationship between new communications technologies and language emphasizes linguistic and social differences between online and off-line interactions and the impact of global English on the non-English-speaking world." (Cook 103) Cyber space as previously mentioned enables people who are not accustomed to the international English world, to become acquainted with the English and Western cultures. They get exposed to things they would ordinarily never see in the hometowns and countries. The study shows the youth of these non-English speaking countries become involved and even engrossed in these foreign cultures thanks to exposure to them online.

"These studies conclude, for the most part, that computer-mediated communication reproduces the social, political, and economic relations that exist in the real world." (Cook 103) The studies confirmed cyber space has an affect it has on its users. She questions whether or not these new portals or spaces of communication alter the perspective and mentality of the people that view and use them. Cook sees the youth of this generation as being more open to technological advancements and to different things, making way for a creation of a new "phenomena" like hip hop in Saudi Arabia.