A DJ from Dubai and an Iraqi rapper are so offended by the song Arab Money by Busta Rhymes, a US hip-hop star, that they recorded a reply. Although Rhymes is a Muslim, Danny Neville, a DJ, and Yassin Alsalman, who performs as the Narcicyst, found lyrics in the song to be derogatory and uninformed. They recorded what is known as a diss track, a song that uses the same music but different lyrics.
"When I first heard this track I was really disappointed. Busta Rhymes is a genius to me musically, he is someone who pioneered a style and someone I grew up listening to," Mr Alsalman said on his MySpace page. "At a time when our brothers and sisters are dying worldwide, we are subject to so much racism and insanity. I would want or expect a brother of this stature to speak about our people in a way that is intellectual, understanding and of growth. We, as Arabs, cannot be misrepresented or slept on any more," he added.
The song is on Rhymes's new album, B.O.M.B., which is scheduled for release on March 10. Rhymes, in an interview with a New York radio station, said his song "was nothing of any offence to any of the Arab culture or the Arab population. The point that I'm trying to make is that the Arab culture is one of the only cultures that instils in their children, from birth, the significance and importance of religion... of being business, being smart on the education level and upholding moral and principle".
asafdar@thenational.ae
