
How did hip-hop and the internet work to produce the first Arab revolution of the 21st century? Watch to find out. ------------------------------------------------ TRANSCRIPT: Those were the words of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982. The song, titled "The Message," is considered one of the first major examples of political rap. Its lyrics ushered in decades of social commentary by hip-hop acts such as Public Enemy, who urged its listeners to "fight the power," and NWA, whose members criticized the police so frequently and harshly that their record label received a letter from the FBI. In recent years, non-political, major label artists such as Jay-Z and Rihanna have dominated the airwaves while hip-hop has become increasingly subject to commercial influences. At the same time, rap artists -- professional and amateur -- from all around the world have begun to share their tracks on the Internet. This not only means that rappers can easily share their music with potentially large audiences, but also that the political commentary found on their tracks can influence anyone with access to the net. In one North African country, this phenomenon is having a major political impact. Last month, 26-year-old unemployed university graduate Muhammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in front of a Tunisian government building. Following this bold act of defiance, a flurry of protests raged across nation. In recent years, resentment toward the country's government has been <b>...</b>
Tunisian Revolution
Hip-Hop
El General
Tunisia
January
2011
21st century
social networking
youtube
President Ben-Ali
CNN
Al
Jazeera
Rap
Tunis
Sfax
Hamada Ben-Amor
Habib Bourghiba
revolution
Tunisian
Grandmaster Flash
NWA
Public Enemy
Rihanna
Jay-Z
Arab world
Maghreb
Ghaddafi
Democracy
Twitter
bloodless revolution
news
breaking news
jasmine revolution
تونس
Anonymous
Civilian
Massacre
10-01-2011
Kasserin
Zine
El
Abidine
Ben
Ali
protest
freedom
mclyte
Nyng