Healing Through Music

By Elle Mastenbrook, in response to http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/08/arts/drawing-a-rap-refrain-from-a-un-resolution.html

There are many ways that Arabs and Muslims have dealt with the aftermath of September 11^th, and one of the most entertaining is through music. Iron Sheik is a Palestinian rap artist who uses his music to make political statements on various problems he sees in modern society. He has rapped about most everything, from getting searched at the airport to the quest for oil, and he even has a song called “Conversation with Edward Said.” Edward Said is a famous scholar, best known for his work titled Orientalism, which was revolutionary in depicting the way Western culture perceives Middle Eastern culture. In Orientalism he criticized how definitions of the Orient created a binary between Western and Eastern culture. “Orientalism can be discussed and analyzed as the corporate institution for dealing with the Orient- dealing with by making statements about it, authorizing views of it… in short, Orientalism as a Western style for dominating… and having authority of the Orient” (Said 69). Here he is stating that by labeling and critiquing the Orient, Western powers are establishing an authority over the region, therefore gaining all the power. Iron Sheik responded to Said’s ideas, and applied it to the occupation in Palestine. In his song “Conversation with Edward Said” he intermingles quotes of Said’s with his own lyrics, and makes a very powerful song. He slams the United States’ support of Israel, and criticizes their lack of help towards all of the Palestinian grievances.

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 Iron Sheik’s real name is Will Youmans, and he just so happens to be a graduate of the University of Michigan, and is currently working on his PhD there. He also received his law degree from the University of California at Berkley. He was born in Detroit, and has made quite the name for himself not only as a rapper, but a scholar as well. He has performed all over the world, and has had featured in many prominent news outlets, including the New York Times. In a review of one of his performances, author Danny Hakim wrote:

“And then Mr. Youmans began a set that substituted political statements for the four-letter words of other raps. He extolled the festivalgoers to get out of the bleachers and crowd the stage. He invited their reactions to various hot buttons, asking, ''Who here likes Fox News?'' and jabbing with banter like: ''The next song is about George W. It's called 'Low Expectations.'” (NY Times 07/08/2004). He is very liberal, which can be seen through his lyrics, and unlike a lot of other rappers, he has extensive knowledge to back up what he talks about. In this video clip, it shows Will Youmans on a news program and he raps about the violence and displacement that is taking place in Palestine:

As you can see, he is very knowledgeable about what is happening abroad, and he is using his music to get the word out to a broader audience.

            All in all, the Iron Sheik has a good message for those who will listen. He wants peace for the Middle East, particularly Palestine, and his awareness of the issues make his arguments even more valid. And he is a Michigan Wolverine, so he obviously is very intelligent. Music is a great outlet for people dealing with grievances, and maybe if more Arab or Muslim Americans used this medium then their injustices could be addressed. The more the word gets out there, the more the Western/Eastern binary of us versus them can be disintegrated. September 11^th was a horrific tragedy, but why doesn’t the United States address the tragedies they are imposing on Palestine. The Iron Sheik wants to get the message out, and chose rap as his way to this. What will you do to make more people more aware of the problems that you see in the world? Just something to think about…