Radio Documentary “Rhymes to Revolution – Soundtrack to the Arab Awakenings” by Jackson Allers

My brother Jackson Allers is one of the few people that is documenting the Arabic Hip-Hop movement. I already interviewed him for re-volt & got to meet him when I had my shows in Beirut. The brother is full of passion for this movement & i am proud to say that he managed to have the below documentary aired across 150 stations across the US & the world.

The documentary which is a Free Speech Radio News production with editor Shannon Young and technical producer Rose Ketabchi.

Documentary Description:

The so-called “Arab Spring” uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa have been driven by a largely disaffected youth demographic aged 18 to 30 that dominates the populations of every affected country. In Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, the youth have demanded an end to the rampant corruption, unemployment, lack of democratic rights, and government policies that stifle freedom of expression and freedom of speech. Echoing these demands have been the representatives of the Arabic hip-hop movement living in both the Arab world and in the Diaspora.

This documentary will examine the rise of Arab hip-hop as a soundtrack to the revolution from its beginnings with Tunisian El General’s song “Rayess La Bled (Head of State)” until today. It will include the voices of rappers in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Diaspora including the creators (Omar Offendum/The Narcycist) of the YouTube viral video #jan25 (pictured above) and the creators of the Egyptian rap video “Rebel” (Arabian Knightz)

Interviews will be balanced with testimony from relevant political commentators, photographers, producers and voices from the Arab street in order to discuss how Arab hip-hop contributed to revolution and how it is still inspiring artists and protest movements in the US, and demonstrators in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Lebanon – who are still blasting Arab hip-hop anthems from their boomboxes as they fight Gadhafi’s forces in Libya, the security forces in Bahrain and Yemen and the Sectarian state in Lebanon.

Rhymes to Revolution – Soundtrack to the Arab Awakenings (Click Play Below to hear the full 30 min doc)