Rap of liberation from occupation... “Lowkey” and the mixture of languages and singing arts in “Palestine Will Never Die”
British rapper Lowkey and his fellow singer Mai Khalil released a remarkable lyrical work entitled “Palestine Will Never Die,” which combines singing and rap, Arabic and English lyrics, and the arts of speech, poetry, prose, and lyrical performance.
Lowkey said that they were inspired to work by the works of the Lebanese artist, singer and composer Ahmed Kaabour, who is known for his works that carry the hopes and pain of the Palestinian people, the most famous of which are “I Call You” and “O Pulse of the West” (In the West Bank I have seven children) and others.
Lowkey added that the song - which is characterized by multiple rhythms and poetry - is “our humble contribution to this just cause and an attempt to empower young people in the West who have a passion for liberating Palestine,” considering that the words gave them goosebumps and reflect the current reality.
He added, "We hope that the song will give more courage and boldness to those who speak about Palestine, so that they are not afraid to confront the Zionist lobby in their countries," considering that the circumstances that inspired the song are "the feeling of impotence and political paralysis... and it is our right in the West to stand in solidarity with our people."
Lowkey pointed out that they chose to mix Arabic and English in the song, because that mix “reflects the reality in which we live,” stressing that they were inspired by traditional words to benefit new generations and deepen their connection to their past.
Regarding the use of different musical genres in one song, Lowkey said that they wanted to prove that "the Arabs are not in a state of cultural schizophrenia. On the contrary, our exposure to multiple arts leads to enriching our abilities to describe our bitter reality."
He said that he sees rap as "an important part of this process, especially how it makes people interact with others directly."
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