A Hip Hop Homecoming: The Narcicyst

2010 has already been a huge year for hip hop in the Middle East, with things only getting stronger in a region already known for its emerging hip hop talent. The Narcicyst is no exception.

Recently we saw The Furious Force of Rhymes at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival and got an insight to how hip hop can bring us together.  In June, Damon Albarn’s international collective Gorillaz became one of the few western acts to play in Damascus. The hip-hop tinged mega-group made the excursion even more personal, sharing the stage with the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music for the standout track White Flag.

Also present were British grime rappers Bashy and Kano, who have been making huge waves over here – the lads had nothing but good things to say about the Arab hip hop scene, with Bashy encouraging local musicians to embrace their local flavour; “…you have something unique and that’s what’s going to stand out and make people look to you…rapping over Arabic music is instantly something unique.”

With Bashy’s advice still fresh in the airwaves, we welcome The Narcicyst (aka Yassin Alsalman), one of the pioneers of the Arab hip-hop movement.

Born and raised in the UAE of Iraqi parents and currently calling Montreal in Canada home, The Narcicyst has forged a name for himself as an ambassador of the movement, taking his uniquely Arabic sound and politically-charged lyrics to stages across the world, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Brother Ali, Mos Def and Kanye West.

Gaining global attention with his internet mixtape trilogy “Stuck Between Iraq and a Hard Place”, The Narcicyst's hip-hop M.O has always been to stay true to his roots – with the help of his experience as a published author and university lecturer.

The message of global harmony and understanding has never been more powerful than when delivered in the rhymes of this local artist.

You’ll also recognize The Narcicyst from his role in the Dubai-based film ‘City Of Life’, which garnered huge praise for it’s commentary on the multi-cultural city. The concept of “all cultures as one” is evident in The Narcicyst’s latest video for the track ‘Hamdulillah’ (below) which sees him teaming up with Arab hip-hop’s first lady Shadia Mansour.

Now, thanks to Puma, The Narcisyst is bringing it all home with a show in Dubai this Friday, bringing his talked-about stage show to the place where his inspiration began – set in Dubai’s new underground music haven Casa Latina at the Freshly Laced nights, this is an essential gig for anyone in the UAE interested in a 'home-grown' talent taking it to the world, and a welcome return from one of our finest hip hop exports.

The man has his new mixtape, Mr Asthmatic out now and you can download it for free here. Find out about the gig here.

THE NARCISYST (FEAT. SHADIA MANSOUR) - HAMDULILLAH