US rap artist apologises to Arabs over song

Tom Spender

• Last Updated: December 11. 2008 9:30AM UAE / December 11. 2008 5:30AM GMT

DUBAI // The American rap star Busta Rhymes has reportedly apologised to Arabs and Muslims after one of his songs was criticised at home and abroad, including by a Dubai-based rapper who said it was demeaning.

UAE-born Yassin Alsalman, who records under the name Narcicyst, said the artist called him to explain that he did not mean to offend with his single Arab Money.

The video for the song shows Rhymes rapping about the Burj Dubai hotel, depicts him gambling with the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and posing in front of expensive cars.

The track can no longer be heard on radio stations or bought in shops, but can still be downloaded online. Alsalman said Rhymes said the track would also be removed from the internet.

After hearing the song, Alsalman felt compelled to record his own song, The Real Arab Money, in response. He posted it on the internet and was astonished to receive a phone call from Rhymes.

“He pulled the track and the remix that came out with it after the negative feedback going on in the Arab and Muslim community,” said Alsalman, 26. “He called me personally and said he wanted to tell the Arab and Muslim community that he apologised. He said he was grateful for their reaction and he would take whatever steps were required to clarify the situation.

“What he did was an extremely commendable act as a man. He said that he would have felt the same reaction if he thought someone was disrespecting his culture as an African American. He said he wanted to respect Arab culture because it deserves appreciation and so he was pulling his song.”

The song has also been controversial in the UK, where this month a DJ was suspended from Galaxy Radio for playing Arab Money after the station received complaints. “Galaxy would like to apologise to all our listeners for the airing of this song. It was never Galaxy’s intent to offend its listeners and never will be,” the company said.

Alsalman said the portrayal of Arabs in the song reflected deeper cultural misunderstandings between the US and the Middle East.

“It was the cultural consultancy of the song that was a problem, if you will,” he said.

“I didn’t do this for the publicity, I did it out of respect for my culture. I never assumed Busta Rhymes was an ignorant man, I assumed he just didn’t really know about us. It’s a huge thing for an individual artist to pull his main single from the shelves. His act went beyond what I expected and I look up to him even more now. He is not about the money, he is about art, culture and respect.”

Alsalman has also removed his track criticising Rhymes from the internet.

Rhymes has visited and performed in Dubai and would relish the opportunity to return, Alsalman said.

“He loves Dubai and he wants to come back here.”

“His reaction shows that hip hop is the United Nations of music and can represent everybody.”

Alsalman divides his time between the UAE and Canada and will perform tomorrow at the Dubai International Film Festival, ahead of a documentary about Palestinian rap music.

tspender@thenational.ae