The Sudanese American MC ODDISEE's old school East Coast influences (think Eric B. & Rakim and A Tribe Called Quest) come through in “a light touch of jazz spread over a soul-injected, golden-era hip-hop inflected foundation.” (NPR Music) Born Amir Mohamed and raised in Washington, D.C., he spent hot summers in Khartoum learning Arabic and swimming in the Nile, and grew up amidst the sounds of his older cousins’ New York hip hop records, his father playing Oud, DC Go-Go, and gospel. He released his first mixtape when just out of his teens and has established himself as one of the most positive voices in rap. His latest full length is The Iceberg, released on Mello Music Group.
The Palestinian-Jordanian band 47SOUL's “high-energy music with a message” (Guardian UK) is built around beats that have been bumping in the Arab World for centuries. 47SOUL is an Electro Arabic Dabke (Shamstep) band formed in Amman Jordan in 2013. Their unique mix of the ancient with the ecstatically modern has swept through underground music scenes in Europe and the Arab world. Their lyrics call for celebration and freedom in the struggle for equality, a message that was front and center in their sold out debut US performance at BRIC House earlier this year.
NARCY, a musician, filmmaker, and journalist, is a central figure in the hip hop scene in Montreal and in the Arab World. He has worked with A Tribe Called Red “R.E.D.”, Yasiin Bey, Talib Kweli, Anderson Paak, Jay Electronica, and Kaytranada. He is a founding member of WeAreTheMedium, an international transmedia and culture consultation collective.
