In recent years, many rappers, collectives and individuals, have appeared which speak to the language of the streets and highlight the suffering of those caught up in the Syrian war.
In the recent period, the Syrian rap scene has been transformed from a marginal artistic style to an art that reflects reality, touches upon people's concerns and sorrows through different techniques.
Ahmad Ibrahim, 19, is one young rapper contributing to this growing art form. Ibrahim migrated from al-Raqqah city to Turkey in September 2014 fleeing the war in Syria. He has become famous with his song, “Al-Raqqah Ma Bitmout (al-Raqqah Does Not Die)” where he rapped about the suffering the city’s residents have endured for years.
Speaking to Ammar Johmani, Ibrahim, who lives in Istanbul, explained why he began rapping, indicating that this artform is very close to the heart, speaks to the suffering of the Syrian people today and the difficult circumstances surrounding him.
He explained that he chose rap as this musical genre does not require a beautiful voice, and it can be performed simply and spontaneously. Rap depends on the power of words and the rhythm of the music.
Ibrahim said that he faced some difficulties mainly in producing his songs and marketing them on social media. He added that he received much moral support from the Raqqawi community which came as no surprise to the young artist.
The song “Raqqa Ma Bitmout” speaks about the suffering of the people of al-Raqqah, and Ibrahim said he was motivated to sing it because of the great injustice the city and its people suffered and their marginalization by the media. He added that he wanted this song to reveal the extent of the suffering of al-Raqqa and its people to the Arab conscience which he described as “dead”.
Ibrahim revealed that the song and its words came to him after a phone call with his mother, who is still living in al-Raqqah. In their conversation, she touched upon the suffering the city’s people are experiencing and the dire humanitarian conditions.
The song received much response and engagement from Syrian rap fans and Arabic rap fans. The song spread widely on the media and social networking sites, where it was viewed 2500 times on YouTube and more than 40,000 times on Facebook.
Ibrahim pointed out that “This song is neutral and does not mention any of the parties participating in the war in Syria, but reflects the weight of war, its pains and horrors, and this is the first and last intention behind the song."
Ibrahim writes and performs his own songs, he also produces and composes some of his songs, but he occasionally collaborates with other artists as he did for “al-Raqqa Ma Bitmout” and “Wasif al-Jannah.” Wasif al-Jannah was his first Rap work expressing the tenderness of mothers, their emotions and the need to express gratitude towards parents.
The young man, who works as an Arabic-Turkish translator in a mall, aspires to continue his artistic career, achieve fame and increase his fan base with the dream of returning to Syria
