![]() Mumble rap isn’t the first instance in which a style of rap music has focused less on audible verses and more on overall flow, specifically delivery. Various styles and flows of different rappers have thrived for months, even years, simply to subsequently wither away, allowing for a more unique, progressive rapping technique to take its place. Because of this, mumble rap has garnered a great deal of attention, most of it critical and rooted in both negativity and inability, or rather unwillingness, to allow for the transformation and progression of rap music. The lyrics characteristic of mumble rap are often quite difficult to understand, and, to the untrained ear, these songs will give you a look into what it’s like to be a 93-year-old with a malfunctioning hearing aid. Piloted by the creative minds of Future and Young Thug, this style, dubbed “mumble rap” by Wiz Khalifa (who is still searching for the lyrical dexterity and seamless flow that he lost somewhere in “Rolling Papers”) tilts the focus away from decipherable lyrics and more toward flows that seamlessly mesh right into the beats, serving, on the surface, as more of audible pleasantries as opposed to actual expressive content. Thus, an intriguing new style emerged onto the scene to do just this. Paak and Khalid, or even old standbys like 2 Chainz, something had to be done to stir the waters of lyricism and flow. In an age of rap that so heavily relies on clear, sharp lyrics infused both with creativity and intellectualism and peppered with audible allusions to pop culture, such as those expressed by staple rappers, such as Drake, Kanye and Chance the Rapper, as well as coming-of-age rappers, like Anderson. Since the rap game is so constantly changing, it’s anything but surprising that every so often there is going to be a controversial style that permeates the feeble barrier protecting the criteria of what exactly constitutes rap music. The fact of the matter is that there are so many differing flows and unique stylistic approaches that it is extremely difficult to choose a favorite sub-genre, let alone a favorite rapper. Arguments regarding who holds the title of “Best Rapper Alive” have driven sharp divides through even the firmest of friendships, and allegedly make up for around 57 percent of all divorces in the U.S. I hope others will begin to truly listen and understand our displacement as Palestinians.Ĭhristina Bouri is a research associate focusing on the Middle East at the Council on Foreign Relations.Rap has always been a staple genre of the music community, and an ever-changing one at that. We must consider the humanity of a people who have been dehumanized for decades. It has been a burden to carry this identity in silence.īut the diaspora has arrived at a moment when our fear of speaking does not compare to the fear of innocent Palestinian lives being lost. My silence also comes from an identity that has been shaped by others who do not account for the true nature of Palestinians. ![]() My silence came from a place of fear that speaking up could cost me a job or college admission because those in positions of power could not see the humanity I have tried to explain for years. My identity as a Palestinian American is so charged that when asked where my family was from, I learned to mumble “the Middle East,” trying to protect myself from what someone might do to me if they found out that I was Palestinian or Jordanian. Palestinians tell their children these stories to comfort them and prepare them for what they will encounter at school and beyond. ![]() Palestinians in the diaspora tell their children the stories of their ancestry because they won’t hear them in school. I worry about explaining Palestine and what it means to be Palestinian to my children. I know there is no monopoly on suffering. The reality is that I understand the pain of all those whose families have suffered because I, too, know that feeling. I have been told that the suffering of my family is not as significant as the suffering of others. I have felt that the life of a Palestinian or Arab American is worth less than the life of another. ![]() Much of the racism, hatred and violence I have encountered has gone undocumented and disbelieved. I still find myself in situations where I feel I must remain silent for my safety. These experiences taught me to keep quiet about my family’s history for years. I’ve heard this Israeli narrative repeated many times in my 25 years. ![]() They told me that rather than fleeing for her safety, she simply left. When I tried to speak about my grandmother’s stories in a college history class, a classmate told me my tata was a liar and her stories were nonsense. ![]()
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