I Love Hip Hop in Morocco

Name of event: I Love Hip Hop in Morocco
Organizer and location of event: Joshua Asen, Louis Cristillo, and Hisham Aidi
Teacher’s College, Columbia University
7-10 pm
Amount of hours of event: 3 hours

On Wednesday, I attended a film screening and discussion titled I Love Hip Hop in Morocco. Co-filmed by Joshua Asen, the central theme of the film focused on the effects of American hip hop in Morocco, particularly the Moroccan. It is a documentary of the first ever hip hop festival – from the conception of the idea to birth. The youth of Morocco view hip hop as a cultural phenomenon that serves as a vehicle for expression for those who are oppressed and marginalized by the system set in place (rule by an absolute king). Throughout the documentary, Joshua Asen captured brief interviews with a variety of individuals and groups. DJ Key, who is the founder of the original hip hop organization in Morocco, expressed the conflict he and many others faced in following the path of hip hop versus the religion of Islam – “I will be blocked.” Numerous rap artists such as H-Kayne, MC-Bigg, Pat de Mosse, etc, and ordinary people expressed their dissatisfaction with the present (2005) way of life in Morocco and compared the ‘haves and don’t haves.’ One person mentioned that the biggest difference between the United States and them was freedom of speech – Why does the U.S. have it and they don’t? As he questioned this, he said, “As I’m speaking right now, the police are coming nearer.” To the youth of Morocco, rap defines who they are as giving up rap is perceived as the equivalent of giving up their identity. In turn, a rapper is taken as a person whose responsibility is to enlighten and give a message; not preach but reach others with their message.
The struggle of organizing and successfully executing the first ever hip hop festival in Morocco is, to me, symbolic of the effort that is required of teachers in incorporating multicultural education into the curriculum. Viewing this documentary really allowed me to gain a different perspective on hip hop and the role that it plays in education. In an interview, a rap artist pointed out that Americans rap about girls and money whereas in Morocco, they tell their life story and their struggles. Though a generalization, this statement helped me create the connection between hip hop and education. As a future teacher, it leads me to believe that exploring and analyzing musical expression can be a great vehicle in delving deeper into and fostering an understanding of other cultures inside the classroom as hip hop in Morocco embraces the first-hand experiences, oppressions, and truths of a cultural group that may not necessarily be found in a history textbook.