IN MY SHOES: It’s Hard Out There For A Saudi Rapper
The Washington Post has been following the fortunes of Dark2Men, a hip-hop group from Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, who used to perform “in living rooms for their friends,” but were suddenly thrust into the spotlight when they auditioned for a competition on MTV Arabia and were flown to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to vie against seven other finalists:
"We used to sing about scratching our way to the surface," said lead rapper Hani Zain, 27, a gangly computer programmer at a bank. "We finally made it to the light."
In a kingdom where the Koran serves as the constitution, Dark2Men's rapid ascent from obscurity to the waiting room of pop fame has brought its three young members a mix of elation and misery. …
There are no nightclubs or concerts in Saudi Arabia because of social and religious codes that also ban alcohol and the mixing of unrelated men and women. …
Their fathers, who had never seen them perform, were ashamed and angry as they watched them rapping and dancing in the video on television.
Their fiancees, in a country where women are not allowed to drive and must cover their hair and wear a cloak in public, were unhappy about the trip to Dubai, where men and women mix freely and alcohol is readily available.
The time they needed to spend on practicing and attending the competition put them at risk of losing raises and promotions.
"This should be the happiest time of my life, but it's really the most difficult," said Tamer Farhan, 24, a human resources assistant at a hospital who taught himself English by watching American movies and television shows. …
After the video aired, the group members met at a pizza place, and their moods shifted between excitement and despondency. …
The group's biggest challenge, Zain said, was to prove to their friends, families and fiancees that they are as serious about their religion and their culture as they are about hip-hop. …
"People don't understand us here. They think being part of a rap group means you're less Arab or less Muslim or you want to imitate the West," Zain said.
The cards were stacked against Dark2Men at the MTV Arabia competition, reports the WaPo, because “[t]he contestants were to be judged on their lyrics, stage presence and performance, but [the group] had never performed in public because of strict [Saudi] social and religious codes,” whereas “[t]he seven other finalists, from the less restrictive Arab countries of Egypt, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, had rapped live for years.” An Egyptian won, but for one week the three young men were free to have fun and “danced until dawn at nightclubs” for the first time in their lives.
Now back home, Maan Mansour, 25 (who composes most of Dark2Men's songs) still works as an equipment sterilization technician and Farhan returned to his job at the hospital, but Zain quit his bank job to “concentrate on his rap career.”
Though Farhan’s wedding is now an iffy affair, he tells the WaPo his father is totally down with his decision to go to Dubai: “He voted for us [in the people's choice award] and made his friends vote, too.”
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