Reading Response 13

This reading response revolves around the documentary Channel the Rage which follows the friendship (and falling out) of an Israeli rapper and a Palestinian rapper, and the differences between the two that revolve around the conflict.  Another article discussed the background of Israeli hip-hop and its comparison to 'black American hip-hop.'  I think both articles abourt Channel the Rage as well as the one comparing different cultures of hip-hop are good background articles to get us thinking about the conflict when it comes to different cultural aspects.

The first article discussing Channel the Rage gave me a good background and overview of the rappers as well as the documentary itself.  It was interesting to see how their views changed once the Second Intifada happened in 2000.  It was also interesting to read about the background of each rapper and see how they were using their music to take a political stance.  The second article was of interest to me as well because it was a blog plost that was a reflection of the documentary by a student.  I really liked how the student made connections between the violence that was occurring and the relationship between the rappers.  It really shows how events such as the Second Intifada can inflame the conlfict even more, and further identifies the differences between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The third article discusses the culture of Israeli rappers, and how they have taken on some of the 'blackness' from American hip-hop and infused their style (dress and appearance) into their own.  Although the Iraeli rappers have taken on African American rap's style and dress, they fail to see the true culture behind the lyrics and music that is created.  Dorchin, who wrote the book that this article revolves around, criticizes Israeli rappers by saying that they stray away from rapping about political, social, or cultural issues (which is something that is very common in American rap).  I found this interesting because the lyrics that were highlighted in the first Channel the Rage article were strongly politically affiliated.  I think that it is more difficult for Israeli rappers to really make a political stance because the conflict is something that seems to almost consume every person living there, and because of this, many people (and radio stations) do not want to play or listen to songs that hold such strong opinions (especially opinions they may not agree with).  I look forward to learning more about this culture and watching the documentary tomorrow to better understand this issue.