Rap as a resistance and the implications in self-censorship and transnational

communication

Approaching rap as resistance begs the question, what is being resisted and how?
The resistive-elements of Tunisian rap take two broad forms, with starkly different
political consequences (one is strictly opposed by the government, whereas another one
is less opposed or even supported).

TWO FORMS OF RESISTENCE IN TUNISIAN RAP

1) Resistance to local and national conditions.
Highly controversial and potentially dangerous for artists.
Rap as a form of social critique
Citizens including rap artists in Tunisia face strict regulations on freedom of speech,
association and expression
The realities that inspire the lyrics cannot simply be challenged or critiqued.
Government enforced restrictions on internet access, state actions against
journalists, and violent security responses to protests
Rap artists are aware how their music is created within and against this backdrop.
A culture of self-censorship is evident within lyrics and everyday discussions of
anything that could have political undertones.
Eg: One-by-One by Gangstas Wanted
This song reveals such indirect self-censorship and simultaneously provides a
critique of everyday conditions through metaphor;
On the street, I say oh my people jump in the palaces of the inferior,
they turned you into plastic people/ It is the underground revolution!
Magically I talk about whats happening in my town, using my music.
A kind of utopian justice is promoted here;
o for the people who are described as plastic (stripped of dignity, self-worth
and individual power)
o jumping in the palaces is presented as a metaphorical move to claim back
power from the wealthy, and hip-hop is placed at the underground centre
of this move.
o Raps such as this one mention bad conditions yet do not go into specific
details about them, instead using metaphor and allegory to avoid potential
critique, yet there is a sense that much is held back.

2) Resistance against bad conditions around the world.

Less likely to put the artists at risk
 In some cases, (especially pro-Palestinian raps), transnational resistance songs are
actively encouraged by the state.
Palestine is repeatedly evoked as a symbol of continuing injustice in the world, one
which has particular poignancy for Muslims everywhere and reverberates through
Tunisian rap.

Conclusion
In this sense, rap can provide a forum for protest; against national, international and
transnational political events and trends, yet as a form of resistance it remains within
the limits set by the nation state.
It is necessary to avoid romanticising all rap as resistance (which in itself ignores the
diversity and locatedness of different artists and productions), yet within Tunisian rap,
there are notable elements of political resistance taking place. These are nuanced and
multifaceted; rap may be used as a vehicle for expressing frustrations against political
climates, yet simultaneously it may display sophisticated use of metaphor as self-
censorship, in order to protect the same artists from political ramifications.