As it seems, 2023 and 2024 were the major years for Libya rap. There is no real hope for the country’s political institutions, economic difficulty, ongoing conflicts, corruption, destruction floods and a joint government in the city, a lot of new songs have been given.
Libya rap has creatures that are in a hurry to flourish as officers. Last August, the Eastern Administration under the General Khalifa HIFTer gave its right for the first Bengaji Summer Festival in 15 years. For Bangaji -born rapper Mac Mansoor unknown, this was the first time to perform on stage in his home.
Since then, pop up concerts and other rap events have once been attracting big viewers. Last week, MC Mansoor Unknown performed together with Libya Rap Star’s 7la in Darn city at a sold concert.
Nevertheless, it seems that this could have been the last time. This week, first Eastern, and then Western authorities climbed the popular music style. A statement by the Eastern Administration said, “The spread of rap songs, some of which have vulgar words, Libya violates the moral value of Muslim society.”
From now on, the rap musicians in the east have to get permission from the Bengaji-based interior ministry, where artists in the West have to get this from the Tripolis-based culture ministry. Both institutions review that if the content of songs encourage crime, sex work, suicide or rebellion against family or society. Without permission, the performance wants to refuse strictly across the country.
The same rule “applies to the performance of the theater show, acting, music, dance or singing in any place or in any way.” For the Eastern Interior Ministry, the new rule is in line with the constitution of the country, stating that freedom of expression ends where public morality is violated and conflicts with true Islamic religion.
“Eastern authorities frame the thesis sanctions as the Islamic Society Rules,” Virgin Colombier, Rome’s Louis Guido Carly University’s practice professor and co-editor of the book, violence and social changes in Libya, DW reported.
He said, “This is done in a very efficient way because the officials do surgery that the Brokear Society is with him,” he said, “it is a green thing to those who have different ways to their views.” Express, whether it is through art, music or more widely, politically.
Rap as political outlet
In turn, Libyan rappers who address issues in their songs, which can be understood as “rebel”, are now afraid of Daman’s return to the previous pattern.
During the period of Libya’s rule under the period of prolonged dictator Moommar Gadafi between 1969 and 2011, the rap music was denied derogatory. It was only present among the migrant people of underground and Libya. However, in 2011, in the run-up of Gadafi’s upheaval, local rappers said as a discovery, Yususef Ramadan, which is better known as Mac SWAT, used his rap to call young people to call young people To call.
In February 2011, MC SWAT released “Hade Thor Thovra” (which translates into “this revolution”), in which he encouraged people to take the streets and revolt against Gadafi. The song became the anthem of Libya’s rebellion and closed a golden era for Libya rap. At that time, the then -23 -year -old told us Broadcaster CNN that his track ended the spirit of “touching freedom”.
Return to repression
Only, the rebellion turned into the Civil War of Libya from February to October 2011, which was among the al-gaidfi and loyal forces towards rebel groups who killed him in December 2011. Libya’s population and Libya rappers who called for democracy and freedom found Thimal. On class one.
In December 2011, MC SWAT released its song “Freedom of Speech”, in which he criticized, “You were designed to believe that Kranti prosecuted, but it has failed due to corruption.” After the release of this song, his life took a turn for a worse, later he told British new paper Mentor,
Armed terrorist groups did not take well that they continued to write rap songs, in which they held a rally against atrocities, violence and corruption among supporters of Libyan National Army Chief General Khalifa Hiftar. His track “Bengazistan” (2013), particularly criticized the recent murders and bomb blasts in Bengaji, which was much for the collapse of the ruling forces.
In 2014, the country’s political situation worsened. Since then, Libya has been divided between two rival administration. The eastern part of the country is under the rule of the home of the Representation in General Khalifa and Bengaji, while the West of Libya is under the administration of the Non-Honor Government of National Integration (GNU) under President Abdul Hamid Dabibah in Tripoli.
For MC SWAT, his 2017 track “Exposition”, in which he exposes the pain of those who continue to be exploited, which we wrote in Libya. He fled to Italy where he is beating. “Every day I want everything to end in Libya and I am able to go back home and live with my mother and father,” Hey told At that time the news outlet came to the middle East.
Salafist ideology influence
Human rights guard And supervisors never see MC Swat’s dream. “Recently the ban on rap is no coincidence, it is a part of a trend in Libya,” Virgin Colombier told DW. He said, “Both power centers in East and West have not only increased freedom, but can also explain any discourse as a threat to their control,” he said.
In his view, this trend is further intensified as both political officials are fast relying on security bodies that are strongly influenced by a Salafist ideology, which follows a radical and very conservative reading of Islam.
For Libya’s wrappers, all this excessive possibility means that they will not be to take on stage and will now openly express views. Only the technological progress of social media platforms has been discovered as Instagram, Tikkok and Facebook, making it very easy to share songs with Libya’s follower Sion the Gadafi Yuga.
DW reached the authorities in East and West with a request without statement to respond by the time of publication.
DW’s Islam Altrash contradicts for this report.
