History

Although Native Hebrew hip hop gained popularity only during the 1990s, stemming from global influences, traces of it could been found during the mid 1980s. Yair Nitzani

Yair Nitzani

-Biography:Yair Nitzani was born in Beersheba in 1958. After serving in the Israel Defense Forces as a broadcaster on Galei Zahal in the 1980s, he joined the rock group T-Slam as a keyboardist and vocalist...

, then a member of the Israeli rock group, "Tislam", released an old school hip hop

Old school hip hop

Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...

 parody album under the name "Hashem Tamid". Nitzani was mainly influenced from New York old school Hip Hop. On 1993 Nigel Haadmor and Yossi Fine, Influenced by Eric B & Rakim and Flame-3 of the TPA Crew and other late 1980s Hip Hop, have produced the album "Humus Metamtem", which was released by Yair Nitzani. Yossi Fine later on immigrated to New York, where he played as a bassist with artists such as David Bowie, Naughty by Nature and Lou Reed. Nigel Hddmor is the pseudonym of Yehoshua Sofer

Yehoshua Sofer

Yehoshua Sofer an Israeli hip hop musician and martial artist. Yehoshua Sofer was born into a Breslover Hasidim family in Jamaica. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1963 where he studied Tang Soo Do, receiving a black belt by 1968, aged ten...

, a Jewish-Jamaican Broslov Hasidic Jew who was born in Jamaica and raised in Jamaica, the U.S., and Israel. Influenced by his mother, who listened to Jamaican ska at home, Admor produced a unique sound based on his Caribbean roots living in the Jewish state.

In 1995, the Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

 toured Israel and were interviewed by Quami de la Fox (Eyal Freedman) on Galgalatz

Galgalatz

Galgalatz is a popular Israeli radio station operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music and...

, the Israeli Army’s radio station and most popular radio station of that time. After the interview, Quami de la Fox created a Hebrew parody of their song “So What’cha Want” to promote their tour in Israel. Later that year Quami de la Fox collaborated with DJ Liron Teeni, also a host on the Galgalatz

Galgalatz

Galgalatz is a popular Israeli radio station operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music and...

 station, the vice-station of Galei-Zahal, to produce Esek Shachor (Black Business) – the first all hip hop radio show in Israel. Playing a mix of Hebrew, Arabic and English hip hop, by 2000 Esek Shachor “was the most popular program on Galgalatz and today remains a leader in Israel’s hip-hop world.”

Just as Kool Herc is credited in America

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 as being a founding father of hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

, DJ Liron Teeni is given similar credit as the pioneer of Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i hip-hop. His major role in the process of making Israeli hip hop the popular genre it is in Israel today was the transformation of the lyrics to the mother tongue of Hebrew. Kids would come on his show on the army radio station in order to showcase their rapping skills, but when they would start rapping in English, he would make them translate it into Hebrew. Because rappers began to rap in English, it was seen as an American export which was not authentic to the music of Israel.

Popular rock band Shabak Samech

Shabak Samech

Shabak Samech is the first recognized rap and hip-hop group to come out of Israel, from the small town of Yavneh. Their sound is primarily hip-hop, but includes elements of rapcore, dancehall, ska and funk...

 began rapping in Hebrew in 1995. Influenced by the Beastie Boys, their lyrics did not have any specific political or social message and were mostly party lyrics. Israeli listeners initially rejected their music. Chemi Arzi, one of the band members, recalls, “‘They said you just can’t rap in Hebrew; it doesn’t sound good.’” Shabak Samech continued to produce Hebrew-language rap songs in efforts to promote this new style of Hebrew and Mediterranean hip hop. The band is credited with not only being the first Israeli hip hop group, but also being the most responsible for the progression of Israeli hip hop. Although these teenagers from Yavne were initially marginalized due to the belief of Israeli DJs that their audiences would be lost, Shabak Samech persevered and eventually reached great success.

While Israeli hip hop may be seem to have common underlying themes with US hip hop and they share the main elements of hip hop, mainstream hip hop in Israel tends to deal mainly with the situation in the country, spirituality, or politics. Israeli rappers talk about more personal issues such as the struggles of growing up in Israel. Most Jewish Rappers tends to disregard the political situation between Arabs and Jews, yet they refer frequently to the economic situations in the country. Since 2001, with the rising of new Hip Hop acts, most issues are dealing with creation, essence of Hip Hop, street culture, drugs, hedonism and etc.

Some of the songs also gear towards more religious themes since many of the rappers are Jewish or Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

. Israeli hip hop has such a motivational theme behind it that local governments support the Hip Hop movement that has exploded among Israeli youth. The government has even supported Hip Hop groups who travel to other countries, viewing it as a good outlet for the rest of the world to view them through. Israeli Hip Hop is creating several positive movements among the people of the country that will continue to grow and become even more popular. Some of the things the Israeli rappers rap about can tend to be controversial as well. As far as media exposure of artists who address real issues like child abuse

Child abuse

Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...

 or the future of the state of Israel is concerned, Israeli artists seem to have the same problems getting heard as artists in America; they address current issues but don’t get much attention from the radio stations that play popular music

Popular music

Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...

 or television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 stations. Before Hip Hop was considered a genre in Israel, pop and disco

Disco

Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...

 music were the only genres being played on the radio. When Hip Hop songs started becoming popular, the radio stations refused to play them. They felt that Hip Hop didn't make people feel good so they would not play it. The songs spoke of everything from terrorism

Terrorism

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...

 and religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

 to children speaking up about abuse in their home. And as far as the ongoing conflict between the Arab

Arab

Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...

 population and the Jewish population, hip hop music seems to document this more accurately from various viewpoints than any other popular music or news medium in Israel. Even the conflict between Arab and Israeli rappers is documented in films such as Channels of Rage

Channels of Rage

Channels of Rage is a 2003 documentary film by Anat Halachmi.- Plot :The film focuses on two young Israeli rap artists, Subliminal, an Israeli Jew, and Tamer Nafar, an Israeli Arab, and focuses on their music, friendship, and their politicization as public figures...

 which showcases Subliminal

Subliminal (rapper)

Ya'akov "Kobi" Shimoni , generally known by his stage name Subliminal , is an Israeli hip hop artist and music producer.-Background:...

 and an Arab-Israeli named MC Tamer Nafer whose friendship ended due to political tension.

"Black Business" Radio Show

Black Business (Hebrew: עסק שחור "Esek Shakhor") is a hip hop radio show, started in 1996 By Liron Teeni and Quami De La Fox. The show broadcast on Galgalatz

Galgalatz

Galgalatz is a popular Israeli radio station operated by Israel Defense Forces Radio. This is the second of two Israel Defense Forces-operated stations, while the first one is Israel Defense Forces Radio/Galatz. The station was established in 1993 and broadcasts primarily nonstop pop music and...

 the vice-station of Galei-Zahal - the Israeli military radio station.
Back in the 90's, Youth Israeli rappers like the cynical-parodic Jerusalem rapper kodman which was a kid back then and was a frequent partaker, moreover to today's most estimated/famous rappers - all started at the show.
The rappers started coming on his show in order to showcase their live freestyle and rhyme skills, to be heard rapping; Some rappers like Subliminal

Subliminal (rapper)

Ya'akov "Kobi" Shimoni , generally known by his stage name Subliminal , is an Israeli hip hop artist and music producer.-Background:...

 were rapping in English, and Tenni and others wanted Israeli rap

Rapping

Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...

 to be in their native language of Hebrew since there were thousands of American groups rapping better in English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

.

Hip Hop for Ethiopian-Israeli Youth

Since the 1990s, Ethiopian-Israeli teenagers used the rising reggae and hip hop scenes as a means of forming a community and a sense of belonging. Tel Aviv nightclubs proved to be places of social gathering for Ethiopian-Israeli teenagers, giving them a space to gather and form a collective identity. Teenagers and young adults were able to identify with the black struggle of the music and felt reggae and rap reflected their own experiences. Through identification with historically black American musical styles, Anthropologist Malka Shabtay writes,

Young Ethiopians living in Israel have… transformed their collective and personal experiences of alienation, both real and imagined, into an ideology identifying themselves as the blacks in Israeli society and attributing the relatively poor achievements of Ethiopians and their sense of inferiority and failure to racism. Their language of disappointment, disillusionment and hostility is addressed to those they hold responsible for their situation. They believe Israelis to be prejudiced towards them and see in them the reason that their chances of achieving integration are low: ‘You feel betrayed and are called ‘n-gger’. You made it to Israel and it doesn’t work.’

Identification with the African-American struggle, mainly through music, formed a sense of community and identity among Ethiopian-Israeli teenagers. “Their search for a home is temporarily satisfied by reggae and rap… This encounter with black musical genres is a matter not only of musical taste, but of self-image and image in the eyes of others.” Ethiopian-Israeli reggae and rap, reflecting struggles and racism of daily life of these teenagers, provides a sense of community and identification among Ethiopian-Israeli youth.
Ethiopian Israeli hip-hop groups, and artists like Cafe Shachor Hazak, Axum

Axum

Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...

, Jeremy Cool Habash

Jeremy Cool Habash

In the minority rap sector in Israel, Ethiopian rapper, Jeremy Cool Habash, is a popular artist who speaks to many Ethiopian Jews. Habash raps in both Hebrew and Amharic about his Ethiopian Jewish heritage and the struggles that face many Ethiopian Jews in Israel who live in low-income areas ...

, and others have become very popular amongst all Israelis, and are growing in popularity as Ethiopian Jews intreagate into mainstream Israeli society.

Hip Hop as a method of globalization

Though hip-hop has been adopted by numerous countries throughout the world, Israel remains as a prime example of the manifestation of “glocalization” in the musical realm. Originally hailing from the Japanese business world, this concept was introduced to the Western world by British sociologist Roland Robertson

Roland Robertson

Roland Robertson is a sociologist and theorist of globalization, who lectures at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, United Kingdom.Robertson's theories have focused significantly on a more phenomenological and psycho-social approach than that of more materialist oriented theorists such as...

 in the early 1990s. As explained by Hartwig Vens in his article published in the World Press, the idea of glocalization describes the “rising appearance of artistic hybrids that blend the global and the local” which accurately portray the interplay between these seemingly conflicting scenes. By recognizing the dual nature of glocalization, hip-hop’s role within Israeli society can be revealed to show its nature of meshing opposing forces to form a creative and original product. Consistent with Vens’ claim, Israeli hip-hop is thus an imitated art, largely globalized and affected tremendously by the United States, while still displaying distinct characteristics specific only to Israeli society and culture.

Many of Israel’s hip-hop artists thus reflect upon the integration of global and local influences into their music. Global forces have thus proven to be powerful in affecting and shaping the many facets of hip-hop’s character in Israel. Even the beginnings of rap music in Israel portray the dominant and significant nature of the Western world on global music, since no traces of hip-hop existed in Israel prior to its introduction by DJ Leron Teeni on his widely broadcast radio show. Even once it was first presented on the show, the performers still maintained hip-hop’s American origins by rapping solely in English. Only once hip-hop expanded to include other music artists was Hebrew utilized as a language to spread person opinions and beliefs of society. Even then, English was still used as an effective means of rapping and reaching audiences, and many Israeli hip-hop songs today incorporate some aspects of English lyrics or colloquial terms into their content.

Though numerous examples are available, one specific music video exemplifies this phenomenon of language thoroughly. In his video for the song, “Bababa,” Subliminal

Subliminal (rapper)

Ya'akov "Kobi" Shimoni , generally known by his stage name Subliminal , is an Israeli hip hop artist and music producer.-Background:...

 incorporates various musical elements into his performance, including the talents of Miri Ben-Ari

Miri Ben-Ari

Miri Ben-Ari is an Israeli violinist, who currently resides in the United States.Ben-Ari grew up playing classical music; she started training at age 5 and at age 12, she was presented with a violin by Isaac Stern. During her mandatory Israeli military service, she was chosen to play for the...

 on violin. It is interesting to note how the first thirty seconds of lyrics rapped are entirely in English and could easily be mistaken for a hip-hop song written and produced in America. Such lyrics as “all my real” and “one is for the money, two is for the show…five for that flow” reveal the immense effect American hip-hop has on music produced halfway around the globe. The music video additionally displays other elements of Americanization including the mention of the Grammys and the presentation of the actors as stereotypical members of the hip-hop subculture. One such African-American man is shown wearing a New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 baseball cap, and scantily clad women dancing throughout the video is representative of the stereotypical American hip-hop culture. Within another one of his music videos, “Toro,” Subliminal further expresses qualities of the Western world. Not only is the video reminiscent of hip-hop in the United States, but it holds some elements of reggaeton

Reggaeton

Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...

 and Hispanic roots, especially when explicitly mentioning the word “dinero” in the chorus (Spanish for “money”).

Therefore, throughout Israeli hip-hop music, the borrowing from America is quite apparent in the common usage of English language and slang terms in lyrics, as well as through the incorporation of certain American hip-hop culture elements such as break dancing and specific clothing. Not only has Israel maintained a relationship with the United States in its Americanization

Americanization

Americanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...

 and adoption of Western qualities, but it has dispersed its own artifacts to America. Though it surfaced only a decade ago, Israeli hip-hop has successfully spread to the United States, primarily through the fan base of young Jewish Zionists living in America. Specific artists, especially Hadag Nachash and Subliminal, have accumulated fans in America and often travel worldwide (and primarily to the US) on tours to further promote their music. Strong connections are present between America and Israel, mostly due to the grounds upon which Israel was established. Since its creation as a state was a result of the Zionist movement, many Jewish Zionists living in the United States feel a strong sense of pride and personal relationship with their religious homeland. Zionist youths primarily are therefore very involved in the current political and social situations occurring in Israel.
Furthermore, they are extremely receptive to any cultural artifacts being produced and released by Israel’s music industry, so the hip-hop music of Israeli artists easily thrives within the American Jewish youth population. Thus, many are thrilled when Israeli hip-hop artists come to America to perform and often sing the lyrics along with the performer.

Just as Israeli hip-hop portrays the global trends present in the current times, situations and qualities personal to this specific country are inherently incorporated into the songs and lyrics. As issues such as politics and religion are being fought through the usage of hip-hop, Israeli rap artists display a wide range of opinions being offered and performed. Just as explained by Liron Teeni, the radio DJ who first introduced American hip-hop to America, this variety of perspectives merely reflect the true reality, since “rappers are taking sides on the issue..hip-hop is about being brave, telling the truth like it is and not looking for excuses…just talking about the real stuff.” Discussions of this “real stuff” portrayed in Israeli hip-hop vary from political divides to social tensions and religious fights. Though the music has been maintained as a space for stratified opinionated beliefs, perhaps it holds the power of ultimately uniting those involved in some of these divisions.

As expected, due to Israel’s establishment of a country based on Jewish ideals and beliefs, the many themes contained in hip-hop’s lyrics extend to issues of religion. Within the nation, there is an obvious divide between the very religious Jews and those who are more secular;. Tensions between these opposing groups are apparent in numerous settings, especially when discussing the politics of Israel. Many laws in Israel pertain to this subject, such as the requirement that all citizens enter into the army at age 18, men for three years and women for two. The army has therefore become a ubiquitous characteristic of Israel and has been engrained within the culture and society so much so that it is nearly impossible to walk the streets of any Israeli city without witnessing soldiers in green. Religious arguments have arisen though, and a compromise was reached that entitled the ultra-Orthodox Jews to abstain from enlisting in the army, since they would be studying in yeshiva

Yeshiva

Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

 or getting married around age 18. Though it is now expected that the army is composed of mostly seculars, there still do exist tense feelings towards those unwilling to fight in the Israeli Defense Forces. Further laws, such as those pertaining to Shabbat

Shabbat

Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

, instigate conflict between the religious and secular. Since Israel was founded upon religious beliefs, many Orthodox Jews desire that cities practically shut down on Shabbat, which at one point was true. Recently though, more stores are open on Shabbat and roads are once again covered in cars traversing the country. Therefore, those religious Jews are frustrated that the country is not based on Judaism

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 as much as it used to be, and secular citizens are upset with the manner in which religion is dictating their lifestyle.

Such rules and social expectations are often either supported or argued against in Israeli hip-hop music, and one particular song perfectly encompasses the religious aspect, as well as the political and social tensions apparent in Israel. Hadag Nachash’s “Shirat Hasticker,” literally meaning, “The Sticker Song,” has proven to be one of the most popular rap songs, both in Israel and the United States. Unique in its content, the song is entirely composed of various bumper stickers found on cars in Israel. Since bumper stickers are very popular in Israel and are often placed on cars to display the driver’s political, religious, and social stances, Hadag Nachash accurately portrays the country’s numerous perspectives on all localized issues. By collecting a variety of these bumper stickers and listing them as lyrics in the song, opinions as broad as the citizens within Israel are effectively expressed in the one song alone.

While discussing the relationship between global and local influences on Israeli hip-hop to create the effect of “glocalization,” one music video in particular precisely reveals this phenomenon. “Halayla Zeh Ha’zman,” (or “Tonight is the Time”) performed by Alon De Loco

Alon De Loco

Alon Cohen better known by his stage name Alon de Loco is a leading Israeli hip hop artist with styles in R&B, dancehall and reggaeton. He is also a music producer, a breakdancer, a dance teacher and a DJ...

 and Gad Elbaz

Gad Elbaz

Gad Elbaz is an Israeli haredi singer of Sephardic origin. He is best known by his #1 hit; Halayla Zeh Hazman , and for being the son of mizrahi singer Benny Elbaz.-Early life:...

, effectively presents the manner in which glocalization has encompassed Israeli hip-hop. Opening with a seeming stand-off between Palestinians and overtly religious Orthodox Jews, the video begins with obvious influences from American hip-hop, primarily in the break dancing performed by both groups and the clothing reminiscent of American style (such as the Puma shirt and the “bling”). The song continues to illustrate glocalization through the incorporation of Middle Eastern sounding beats and rhythms, and the chorus is sung in a voice reminiscent of many Israeli musicians and singers. Thus, the music video acts as a clear representation of how elements derived from global and local sources are utilized in Israel, so as to create a unique hip-hop subculture.

Shabak Samech

Shabak Samech

Shabak Samech

Shabak Samech is the first recognized rap and hip-hop group to come out of Israel, from the small town of Yavneh. Their sound is primarily hip-hop, but includes elements of rapcore, dancehall, ska and funk...

 (Hebrew: שב"ק ס) is considered to be the first & most popular Israeli hip hop group, credited with being the most responsible for the progression of Israeli hip hop. They released their first album in 1995, and achieved platinum status with the release of their second album, which in turn made the scene available to a much larger audience. Former member Mook E describes their sound as being a combination of hip hop and rock.

Hadag Nachash

Hadag Nachash (Hebrew: הדג נחש, English: "The Snake Fish”) formed in 1996 was one of the first rap groups to hit the mainstream in Israel. A sprouting Palestinian scene grew alongside them. Their sound consist of a mixture of Funk

Funk

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

, Jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, world music

World music

World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...

 and western pop. They have been compared frequently to the American hip hop group The Roots

The Roots

The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...

 since they use a live band instead of a DJ for their backup music. In contrast to the patriotic "Zionist" hip-hop of artists like Subliminal (see below), Hadag Nachash's music is often satirical and sometimes comes from a left-wing perspective. For example, one of their songs, "Gabi & Debi," spoofs right-wing Zionist rap music.

Subliminal

Kobi Shimoni, more commonly known as Subliminal (Hebrew: סאבלימינל), is the most popular rapper in Israel. The album “The Light and the Shadow” with partner Shadow has sold 80,000 Records in Israel which is a double Platinum Album. Subliminal was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He started performing music at age 12, and at age 15 met Yoav Eliasi, who would later become his performing partner under the name "The Shadow". The two quickly became friends as a result of their mutual love of hip-hop. In 1995 the two began performing in Israeli clubs geared toward a hip-hop audience, wearing baggy clothes and gold chains. They quickly developed a following among the nation's youth, and soon put out their first album, "The Light From Zion". After the outbreak of the violent uprising in 2000 the two began writing patriotic songs. They became known as creators of "Zionist hip-hop", a label still applied to them. In further contrast to the generally rebellious, "outlaw" nature of most hip-hop, they also praise army service and eschew drugs and smoking. With occasional Arabic lyrics and songs like "Peace in the Middle East", they take a stance that can be described as desirous of a better future but unapologetic about the present. Subliminal and Ha'Tzel also helped discover the Palestinian rapper Tamer Nafar; they collaborated but eventually fell out over political differences. The bitter end of their musical relationship is chronicled in the documentary film, Channels of Rage.

SHI 360

Shai Haddad

SHI 360

SHI 360 ) ,is an Israeli hip hop artist, song writer and record producer.-Background:Shai was born to a Tunisian Jewish father and a Moroccan Jewish mother and his childhood was spent growing up in Haifa, Israel until his family moved to Montreal when he was eleven years old...

 was born in Haifa, Israel then moved to Montreal, Canada when he was eleven. He was very resistant to the move and didn’t like the change. When attended a public school he was faced with a lot of anti-Semitism.
He also received a lot of friction between the local Jewish community. He was seen as an outcast to them because his friends were mostly black and Hispanic. He didn’t dress like them, he talk like them so he became an outcast. As he grew older he finds appreciation in his new found home. The Canadian hip-hop scene helped jump-start his rap career. He would go to open mic nights and he also recorded his first vinyl single, Linguistiks, through his own label, IntelektMusik, in Montreal. In 1996 Haddad returned to Israel to pursue his rap career. This time he went under the name SHI 360 (Hebrew: שי 360). SHI stands for Supreme Hebrew Intelekt and 360 represents his return to Israel from Canada. SHI 360’s lyrics reflect political and social themes as opposed to feel good pop that dominates the Israeli radio. In the song “Break the silence” he talks to kids speaking up about abuse from home life. He considers himself a conscious emcee. SHI 360 hopes to change the view on how radio is supposed to sound in Israel.

After a few years rapping he met Israeli rapper Subliminal who at the time was known as “Caveman” Haddad suggested the name Subliminal and he took that name as his stage name from there on out. Subliminal and David Levy started the T.A.C.T. Entertainment group.

DAM

Though many Jewish Israeli rappers are present in the country’s pop culture, fewer Palestinian hip-hop groups have surfaced, though one has gained widespread popularity. The group's name, DAM

DAM (band)

DAM is a Palestinian hip-hop group. Based in Lod, Israel, DAM was founded in 1999 by brothers Tamar and Suhell Nafar and their friend Mahmoud Jreri, and their songs are largely about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and poverty...

, is the Arabic verb for "to last forever/eternity" (دام) and the Hebrew word for "blood" (דם), but can also be an acronym for "Da Arabian MCs." DAM could be argued to be the polar opposite of Subliminal

Subliminal (rapper)

Ya'akov "Kobi" Shimoni , generally known by his stage name Subliminal , is an Israeli hip hop artist and music producer.-Background:...

’s right-wing stance. Formed in 1998, DAM is noted as the first Arab-Israeli hip-hop group and consists of three Palestinian men who hold Israeli citizenship as well: Tamer Nafer, his brother Suhell, and a friend, Mahmoud Jreri. Though the rappers mostly sing in Arabic, they do write songs in Hebrew and English as well, to ensure that they reach all of their intended audiences. The content of their songs is largely focused on the many conflicts existent between Israel and the Palestinians, including the issue of Palestinians feeling like second-class citizen

Second-class citizen

Second-class citizen is an informal term used to describe a person who is systematically discriminated against within a state or other political jurisdiction, despite their nominal status as a citizen or legal resident there...

s of the country. DAM often challenges Zionism

Zionism

Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...

 with their lyrics and accuses the Israeli government of racism and inequality. Many of their songs demand treatment equal to that offered to the Jewish citizens of Israel. According to lead rapper Nafer, “our message is one of humanity- but it’s also political- we make protest music.” DAM’s first single of 2001, “Meen Erhabe?” (or “Who’s the Terrorist?”) was not even released by an official recording label, but was still downloaded from online by over one million visitors. Their latest rap single, “Born Here,” is written and performed in Hebrew to further expand their audience. Nafar has also stated that the reasoning for the transition to Hebrew lyrics is to be able to transmit the messages of the injustices to the Israelis very clearly. Nafar has said that his position is to replace politicians; “Politicians don’t talk to our generation. But politics is the way of our life, so I’m bringing the way of our life in their language.” In November 2006, DAM ultimately released an official album, titled “Dedication.”

Sagol 59

Sagol 59

Sagol 59

Sagol 59 is a Jerusalem-based hip-hop MC. Raised on a Kibbutz in Israel, Khen Rotem took the name Sagol 59, or “purple 59,” from his personal Kibbutz laundry bag tag. After his required 3 year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces, Sagol turned to music, beginning his career in blues, funk and rock...

 (Born Khen Rotem, October 1, 1968) is a Jerusalem based hip-hop MC. Raised on a Kibbutz in Israel. After his required 3 year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces, Sagol turned to music, beginning his career in blues, funk and rock before moving on to hip hop in the Mid 1990s. Shortly after, he relocated to Jerusalem. Sagol was picked up by the city’s seminal (and now defunct) indie label, Fact Records. He was later signed to major label NMC Records.

With 5 full-length albums to date, plenty of musical collaborations with diverse artists and many live shows in Israel and overseas (U.S, Europe)Sagol has anticipated Israel's current Rap boom and cemented his position as one of its leaders.

Within the last decade, Sagol has participated in many events alongside Palestinian and Arab musicians, and has performed alongside many well-known artists and overseas: Matisyahu, DJ Spooky, Kenny Mohammed The Human Orchestra, Remedy, Killah Priest, Sole of Anticon, Spearhead’s Michael Franti, Yitz Jordan aka Y-Love

Y-Love

Yitz Jordan , better known by his stage name Y-Love, is a Brooklyn-based African-American Hasidic Jewish hip hop artist...

, Taskforce, and Israeli artists such as Hadag Nachash, Coolooloosh, Mook-e, Teapacks, Yossi Fine and many others.

In 2001 he received critical praise for his groundbreaking collaboration “Summit Meeting"(feat. Tamer Nafar of DAM & Shaanan Streett of Hadag Nachash), the first-ever collaborative recording featuring both Israeli and Palestinian MCs. He regularly hosts the Corner Prophets/Old Jeruz Cipher Hip Hop series,a cultural initiative meant to unite the diverse cultural communities located in Jerusalem through a shared interest in hip-hop[4]. By working with Corner Prophets, Sagol’s goal is to inspire a new generation of Israelis and Palestinians that turn to art, not violence, as a means to find a common ground.

Sagol 59

Sagol 59

Sagol 59 is a Jerusalem-based hip-hop MC. Raised on a Kibbutz in Israel, Khen Rotem took the name Sagol 59, or “purple 59,” from his personal Kibbutz laundry bag tag. After his required 3 year stint in the Israeli Defense Forces, Sagol turned to music, beginning his career in blues, funk and rock...

 is currently signed to New York label JDub Records

JDub Records

JDub Records is a non-profit record and event production company striving to build community through new and innovative Jewish music and cross cultural musical dialogue.-History:...

.

Sky

Ron "Sky" Nesher is a popular rap artist from Israel,who often works with 69 and Yamanz. He is of Yemenite Jewish descent, and is a prominent Mizrahi rapper. He performed on several popular songs such as "Lo Ba Stam" with Yamanz, "Zooz Kmo Idiot" with Easy, and "Kama Zman" with Shai 360.

Other known hip hop crews and rappers

• RCP http://www.rcphiphop.ru
• Engeneer http://www.rcphiphop.ru
• SADYLE
• Sivan Tact
• Peled & Ortega http://www.myspace.com/peledamportega
• Cohen@Mushon http://www.myspace.com/cohenetmushon
• Parvarim Refugeez http://www.myspace.com/parvarimrefugeez
• PR Trooperz http://www.myspace.com/prtrooperz
• Hayisraelim
  HaYisraelim
  HaYisraelim is a new minor political party in Israel which ran in the 2009 elections. It is led by professor Gideon Doron, a political scientist at Tel Aviv University....
  
  
• Fishi Ha-Gadol
• Jeremy (aka Jeremy Cool Habash)
• Avi Mesika
• Mook E
  Muki (singer)
  Daniel Niv , better known as Mooke is an Israeli singer and rapper, best known as the frontman for successful Israeli hip hop/punk act Shabak Samech between 1992 and 2000, and again since 2007. He is also a successful solo artist...
  
  
• PR Troopers
• Alon De Loco
  Alon De Loco
  Alon Cohen better known by his stage name Alon de Loco is a leading Israeli hip hop artist with styles in R&B, dancehall and reggaeton. He is also a music producer, a breakdancer, a dance teacher and a DJ...
  
  
• Booskills
• Elan Babylon
• Dick Harbl
• Tamer Nafer
• Chayaley Hanekama
• Cafe Shachor Hazak (Ethiopian Zionist Israeli Band)
• Sai Records
• J.W.A
• Produx
• Nechi Nech
• DWCZ

External links

• Hebrew In Hip Hop Music - English
• Israeli hip hop website- In Hebrew
• Israeli and Hebrew Hip Hop Videos- In English

• Mitrck, Joshua

Israeli hip-hop takes on Mideast Politics

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-11-06-hiphop-usat_x.htm

• Vens, Hartwig

Hip-hop speaks to the reality of Israel

http://www.worldpress.org/Europe/1751.cfm

• Hartong, Kelly

Israeli hip-hop debating Gaza

http://www.radiohazak.com/archives/genres/rap/

• Ungerleider, Neal

Levantine Hip-Hop 101

Washington Post; August 25, 2006

• Hazan, Jenny

Ex-Montrealer is Israel's newest homeboy

Canadian Jewish News, p.1; January 26, 2006

• Lynskey, Dorain

THE GREAT DIVIDE

The Guardian (London), p.4; March 11, 2005

• Brosbe, Gavriel Fiske Ruben

Rappers delight

The Jerusalem Post, p.9; February 3, 2006

• Hopkins, Sam

The Gza Strip: Hip-hop strikes familiar chords in our Israeli sister city

The Kansas City Pitch, January 6, 2005