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Cheers, cries and loud music in a crazy ambiance with baseball hats flying all around on the beat of excited dancing crowds give you the impression of a Paris or New York night atmosphere, but in fact, it’s the Danger Zone Killer band DZK taking the floor at the National theatre in Baghdad.
DZK
For the first time in Iraq, an Iraqi rap band called DZK (Danger Zone Killer) performed an one-off rap concert at Baghdad National theatre last Friday. Rappers dressed like rap Gangsters wearing short and long baggy jeans tying bandanna around their heads .The three young rappers performed in Karrada District hoping that car blasts and suicide attacks would come to an end.
First Iraqi Rap Band
The band was founded by Hachem Sabah (22 years old) known as Atef. The latter learned how to rap in 2004 in the wake of Iraq invasion.
“We are the first rap band in Iraq, we are the real band in Baghdad” said Atef wearing a bullet-proof vest and a big necklace bearing NY sign.
It is the youth’s future music
Defending his choice of wearing a bullet proof vest in fear of being shot down by extremists, Atef said: “The main reason is that youth like clothes that remind them of violence”. “Youth like rap because it is the music of the future” Atef added through a loudspeaker.
An opportunity to express one self
Young men found in rap a way to express themselves and their hopes as rap bands spelled out the feeling of a dedicated audience back in the eighties in New-York and Paris.
“We want to discover a new art as traditional music has vanished” said Ahmad Farouk (23 years old) who lived in Egypt for a long time before returning home at the beginning of the current year.
“All what Traditional Arabic Music talk about is Love and Patriotism. However, Rap music can deliver political messages or any other messages” Farouk added.
“Iraq is the Emblem”
For his part, Atef noted that he prefers the song “Iraq is the Emblem” that speaks out about violence, kidnapping and killing youth forced to flee the country and escape sectarian violence which took hold of Iraq for several years.
Moreover, the song “Take your earphones off” rejecting “Takfiris” says “We, the rappers of the Mesopotamia, say ‘Takfiris’ are a threat ”.
More than 150 fans attended the concert shouting in English: Go brothers go!
Rap is a favored imprint of US culture
In his turn, Mahmoud Riyad (21 years old) a computer engineering student said: “Attending a rap concert in Iraq is amazing; the world must know that Iraqis are distinguished”. Riyad also noted that Rap is a favored imprint of US culture in Iraq.
But extremists do not like it
Do extremists threaten rappers and rap fans? “Of course”, said Riyad, “They are totally against rap music because it is a forbidden art by the Sharia”. However Riyad stammered “I will do what I want because no one has an authority over me”
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