Hip-Hop

Contemporary hip-hop in Iraq is a diverse scene. Like many other Middle Eastern scenes, it includes both native and diasporic artists, and often focuses on the unique political and social struggles of Iraq. However, without a singular event or regime to align themselves for or against, Iraqi rap deals with a wide range of topics from light-hearted sociality, to criticism of local government, and even protest against Iraq's occupation by foreign powers. There is even a growing religious rap movement, which seeks to use hip-hop to appeal to young worshippers.

General Resources:

• Rap becomes battle cry of Iraqi protests - al-Monitor (requires a free account to view)
• Baghdad beats: Meet the Shia rappers raising the roof - Middle East Eye

Artist Profiles:

Graffiti

Graffiti and street art in Iraq has slowly grown in presence and international notoriety over the course of the 21st centuiry. A current center of street art activity and display is Tarhir Square, where walls have been covered with both hopeful and critical images as part of ongoing protests.

General Resources:

• Meet the Iraqi protestors painting their pain on walls - The National
• Murals of Baghdad: the art of protest - The Guardian

Examples:

(PC: The Guardian)

(PC: The National)

(PC: The National)

Barrier Art

(PC: BBC)

Since 2007, Baghdad and other Iraqi cities have been criss-crossed with concrete barriers intended to compartmentalize neighborhoods and limit the potential for attacks against US troops and government security forces. One unique form of street art co-opts these barriers as canvases for imagined landscapes, political messaging, and memorials.

Further Reading:

• Beautifying Baghdad: Colouring in a city of walls - BBC
• On Iraq's Walls, the Graffiti of War - Wired