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Posted by Dave
Rap News Network
4/5/2006 2:28:14 PM
Tags and topics realted to this article include DJ Whoo Kid. Rap and Hip Hop.
As a DJ for 50 Cent, I have been able to travel the world. Most recently we toured countries like Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Thailand. As the tour came to end, 50 Cent went to Morocco to start on his new movie with Samuel L. Jackson and I began my own tour, the "Sada Pop Tour," which took me to Mexico and was supposed to end in Canada.
That all changed when I got a call to DJ a party at one of the most exotic places in the world — Bahrain, which is in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia.
Who knew they were into hip-hop in the Middle East?
Nonetheless, I agreed to be the guest of His Highness Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, a big G Unit fan, and DJ the party for a Formula One race.
Growing up in Queens Village, New York, I really didn't know what to expect upon my arrival in a Muslim country. I expected to see camels, cement homes and vehicles that could handle sand, like Jeep Wranglers or Land Cruisers. To my surprise, I was greeted by teenagers blasting music by Mobb Deep, Jay Z, 2Pac, Biggie Smalls, Eminem and 50 Cent. When I turned on the radio I heard a variety of music that included the Black Eyed Peas, Sean Paul and the Pussycat Dolls.
The hottest music — and I hear a lot as a DJ for Eminem's Shade 45 channel on Sirius Satellite Radio — was the Arabic hip-hop remixes and beats I heard on the radio. It made me realize why many producers in the U.S. are sampling them like crazy. I did have the unique opportunity to DJ on a local Bahrain station that devoted one hour to hip-hop and R&B. That was the only time I encountered censorship — the station did not allow cursing of any kind. No different, I guess, than stations under the FCC's thumb in the U.S.
Bahrain is a rich country with hardly any poverty and the teenagers I saw blasting music from their cars could easily outdo many of today's athletes and entertainers with the rides they drove. I mean, custom Bentleys, Ferraris and Lamborghinis with chrome rims.
I must have signed over 300 autographs and posed for 500 pictures with the people of Bahrain. I can't believe how far hip-hop has come, and thanks to the Internet many locals have been downloading my CDs for years. I was hanging with princes and sheiks. If that doesn't prove hip-hop is global I don't know what does. The difference between our hip-hop culture and Bahrain's is that Bahrainians enjoy the music more and do not care about the beef that is often involved in hip hop. They do know about the Game and Ja Rule beefs with G Unit but seemed to only care about the hit records that 50 Cent put out.
Urban clothing is the one thing that has not seemed to infiltrate the youth culture in Bahrain. When I went to the local clubs, people were dressed in high-end brands like Gucci, Prada or Versace, or their custom robes and tops.
There were a few American celebrities there for the Formula One race, like Tyson Beckford, John Legend and none other than the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. I must say the highlight of my trip was having dinner at the palace, when Michael Jackson asked me if Eminem was really retired.
I learned that only 600,000 Bahrainians live in this small country. The hip-hop fans who came to my events were joined by visitors from neighboring Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai, who drove or flew into Bahrain to party. Many of the other Arab countries are very strict and do not approve of drinking and partying. Coming to Bahrain gives some who live in the region the freedom to have fun and then go back to their normal lives.
For the Formula One event there was a celebrity car race that included John Legend. I couldn't believe that the R&B smooth guy managed to drive the elaborate race car without crashing. He finished in pretty good time.
Other than losing my passport and dealing with that, I had a wonderful time. One thing hip-hop fans need to know is that Bahrain is enjoying hip-hop and reggae more in the clubs than techno and house music. It's even played in all the restaurants and public places. Imagine hearing "What Up Gangsta" by 50 Cent being played at Chili's while you eat your pasta, with Muslims of all ages dressed up and bopping their heads to the music.
I've learned that music is definitely the best universal language because it brought me to places that I never knew existed and taught me to never stereotype an Arab person again. I'm glad I'm one of the lucky ones who was able to have this once in a lifetime experience.
While it may not seem like one of the most popular places in the world right now, I promise you that in the next two years everyone will know about Bahrain.
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