Hip-Hop Island

Don't ask, don't tell. Not just an armed forces policy, this little motto has snuck it's way into our daily lives. Coming out of the closet is hard enough and when the world around you is literally forcing you back inside, you have to wonder when and if tolerance will ever be possible. From the Pause Police to rappers claiming “no homo” in their hooks, homophobia is embraced in Hip-Hop culture.

For any one of today's biggest rap stars to come out and own up to their homosexuality, it would be a career ending admission. From the bravado in their delivery to the machoism in their lyrics, male lyricists have to live up to the classical male stereotypes in terms of strength and sexuality. Rap music has always pitted women as a viable fruit that men must attract, have power over and consume; changing the prey to a male in the ultimate no-no.

However, today's rappers are lyrically taking chances and teetering on that line between hetero and homo. Lyrics are heavy with sexual jokes about the same sex, but protective measures are taken to clear up any ambiguity that may deem the emcee a homosexual. But why are rappers chancing sounding gay when they eventually want to steer away from the idea? Whether they actually have hidden homosexual desires cannot be proven, but the fact is Hip-Hop is obsessed with sex and every form must be mentioned. Yet, we make it a point to exclude homosexuality out of our definition of normal.

Why is homosexuality a taboo topic within Hip-Hop? Because same-sex actions break the polar views Americans have of men and women. Hip-Hop culture in particular defines its best male artists as the toughest men on the block. Being gay and being a tough guy has never been considered equal, and for a rapper to break that image, he risks a career and the possibility of never being taken seriously again. Hip-Hop has made coming out so fearful that its artists have to find ways to hide within their lyrics and alter their public demeanor.

Hip-Hop artists aren't the only ones affected by this wave of outting and the fear that comes along with it. Americans spend a lot of time outting every possible moment that could be contrived as gay. From images of men posing together at clubs to having an overly “metro” wardrobe, as a society we've made it ok to step back, say pause, and label any random act as having homosexual tendencies. This hyper-concern over the actions of others, had led people to be overprotective of their every move in fear of being labeled as something they are not, or even something that they are.

So why all this attention to what is and what isn't gay? The world of Hip-Hop is so worried about its image that homosexuality is a scandal the culture refuses to accept and deal with. And while Hip-Hoppers are pointing fingers and hitting anything and everything gay over the head with nightsitcks, there's no wonder why homophobia is so rampant and cultivated within the lifestyle.

Finally, we get a glimpse into Arab-Muslim culture through its youth without the tainted images of war. “I Love Hip Hop In Morocco,” directed by Josh Asen and Jennifer Needleman, documents Moroccan hip hop culture coming to rise in this impoverish country. Asen and Needleman follow Moroccan DJs and rap artists as they put together the country’s first ever hip hop festival, I Love Hip Hop In Morocco.

Unlike American hip hop, Moroccan hip hop artists struggle with censorship inflicted upon them through religious views and their country’s lack of freedom of speech. Hip hop culture grew in America because of its freedom of expression, so how do Moroccans balance the views of Islam that calls popular music a sin and still find solace in their music? They don’t – and that torn feeling fuels their music.

Asen and Needleman introduce us to DJ Key, a self-taught pioneer on the turntables, H-Kayne, a rap group rising to celebrity status, Fatima, a woman trying to make it in a man’s world, and Brown Fingaz, a street rapper who rhymes his true expression in English. Together these artists with the help of the American Embassy in Morocco work to put together a three-city hip hop festival.

In a country that is ruled by king, most Moroccans live in utter poverty, but its own brand of hip hop culture has brought life and spirit to the youth – something their king has never given them. In Moroccan hip hop, you’ll never misogynistic terms or materialist values because these ideas have no existence in Moroccan culture. Through their music, these artists are expressing their love for Islam and their hatred for the country’s poverty. It’s street music everyone in Morocco can relate to.

“I Love Hip Hop In Morocco” gives an incredibly in-depth look at the melding of American hip hop culture and Moroccan youth. The film documents the youth’s views on America, Islam and world politics told through music.

Originally published @ http://www.hhnlive.com/reviews/more/147