German Deputy Consul General Ulrich Maier, center, posing in a group picture with the various hip-hop singers and crews who took part in a 3-day hip-hop workshop and live concert at the residence of German Consul General Rolf Theodor Schuster. — Courtesy photo Roberta Fedele Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Hip-hop passion swept Jeddah for a night as German and Saudi rappers turned in a mind-blowing performance at the residence of German Consul General Rolf Theodor Schuster on Wednesday (January 30). Organized by the German Consulate General in cooperation with Universal Legends Entertainment, this cross-cultural “Jeddah Hip Hop Jam” event featured renowned German Singer and Producer Max Herre and Saudi Rapper ‘Qusai' or “QUSAI aka Don Legend the Kamelion” accompanied by promising local hip-hop crews “J-FAM” and “Run Junction.” A wide range of emotions, a common concern for the latest socio-political developments in the region and original themes associated to the Arabic and Muslim culture were channeled through the artists' musical pieces. Apart from allowing a deeper understanding of the German hip-hop tradition, somewhat influenced by the Middle East's political scenario, the concert represented a rare opportunity to acknowledge Saudi artists' unexpected level of maturity and capacity to mirror their specific socio-cultural context without proposing stereotypical hip-hop leitmotifs. Live performances were preceded by a three-day workshop involving around 60 local young rappers and producers. These artists had the unique chance to personally meet each other and share experiences with prominent singers like Herre and Qusai, the Saudi professional rapper, who co-hosted MTV Arabia's Hip Hop Na music competition in 2007, hosted the two latest editions of Arabs Got Talent and won the epithet of Middle East's Hip-Hop Ambassador. The context of the workshop brought about an exceptional cooperation between Qusai, Herre' and J-FAM who recorded a song that was released in exclusive preview during the concert. Energy filled the stage with a great opening by Run Junction and J-FAM, two Jeddah-based crews who paid a beautiful musical tribute to Jeddah and created the right atmosphere to welcome on stage Herre, a singer boasting 20 years experience in the German hip-hop scene. After rising to fame in the 90s as a member of the group Freundeskreis, Herre climbed German and Swiss charts in 2012 with his album “Halo Welt” (Hello World) and presented in Jeddah some of his most famous pieces including “Aufruhr” (Freedom Time), a song that he conceived in the climate of the Arab Spring. Herre said: “I find inspiration in personal experiences and the society that surrounds me. The social consciousness demonstrated in these years by young Arab citizens who took action to defend their rights was a great stimulus for my creativity. “My music finds its root in the hip-hop but also embraces elements of reggae, soul, funk, indie and jazz. I like to experiment and I truly believe that music is an ideal tool to channel one's emotions. Unfortunately, I still perceive sometimes a sort of prejudice and stereotype surrounding the hip-hop. This musical genre is too often labeled as aggressive without any knowledge of its roots, lyrical power and positive vibrations.” Herre, who was also hosted by Big Hass's hip-hop radio show on Mix FM KSA, was impressed by the potential and variety expressed by the regional hip-hop scene and encouraged Saudi rappers to come out with their original stories.He said: “I always tell young talents to talk about their lives and experiences exploiting the lyrical potentialities of their native language instead of imitating American rappers. Another determining factor concerns interaction. Before competing it is important to be united through a common networking platform. It's fundamental to go on the Internet, search for other rap crews from the region, country or town and exploit any networking occasion.” After Herre, the 34-years-old Saudi star Qusai entertained a crowd of enthusiastic fans interpreting some of his most celebrated hits in English and Arabic. Particularly touching were his interpretations of “Mother,” a poetic homage to women and “Change,” a song from his 2012 album “The Inevitable Change” referring to the period of the Arab Spring or the real “New Millennium,” as he calls it. Qusai, who uses his words and the microphone to exalt his own Muslim and Arabic culture and to give voice to the aspirations of his generation, explained the concept behind his third and latest album during a recent and beautiful interview for the famous American Magazine Rolling Stones. “I believe the millennium is the true change that started in 2011 when my Arabic people woke up and started to express themselves. And change is certain: It happened, it's happening, and it will happen. It's inevitable.”
