Thread: ISO hip hop bellydance music

I'm doing a gig for which the client just requested that I incorporate hip hop music into the performance. I'm trying to find some hip hop that has ME elements... or ME music that has strong hip hop elements... any suggestions? I would like to find some songs that blend both styles well...

Originally Posted by dancingstar

I'm doing a gig for which the client just requested that I incorporate hip hop music into the performance. I'm trying to find some hip hop that has ME elements... or ME music that has strong hip hop elements... any suggestions? I would like to find some songs that blend both styles well...

The song "Wala Aala Baloh" by Amr Diab has a bit of rapping in one section - is that the sort of thing you're looking for? Here's the translation: Arabic Music: English Translation of Lyrics for Wala A'ala Baloa by Amr Diab

It's not as aggressive as most hiphop music, but it does have the rapping.

Originally Posted by dancingstar

I'm doing a gig for which the client just requested that I incorporate hip hop music into the performance. I'm trying to find some hip hop that has ME elements... or ME music that has strong hip hop elements... any suggestions? I would like to find some songs that blend both styles well...

I really want to suggest "Dounia" by el Tunisiano with Natacha Atlas (because it fits the bill), but you should vet the lyrics first.

Ahhhh! That version, the first two words are cussing in English. Whoops. Maybe not. And there's at least one cuss word in French. Too bad.

If you are careful with lyric selection in general (and avoid the political/cussing), and it's OK to go with something specific to one country, there's a lot of raï that is heavily hiphoppy. Cheb Bouaa's "Rani M'hayer," for instance.

I'm not wellversed in hiphop but how about Amr Diab's Wala Ala Balo (you know where close to the end of the song.. they go.. Dance to the beat to the rhythm of the Nile... ;)). There's Ajaja by Ramses, too. I'm sure there's newer stuff.
You could use Shakira's Hips Don't Lie (not sure if Wyclef's voice here is considered rap or hiphop ;)), You could try suggesting the ones that are mixed with reggaeton, such as Arabeton, or Tigi Tigi. Hope someone who knows more about hip hop shows up to help! :) Good luck!

If you are looking for Arabic rap, try Ahmed Mekky.

Amazon.com: Ana Ahebbak: Hakim: MP3 Downloads

If you could find a way to listen to all of that, there's a "scratching record" (not sure what to really call it) part that always makes me think hip-hop. I'm putting a hip-hop type of move to it to present in class (part of aerobic conditioning, not to perform anywhere). I love the whole song and am working on some Bhangra moves with it.

Watch Jay Patel here for a few ideas:


What I'm working on is a tiny bit similar to what he does at 27-28 seconds.

"Ahla Haga Feeki" by Mohamed Hamaki - It's on " The Best Arabian Album 8"

Here is the youtube music video from Melody TV

there is this one too - Kinda hip-hop-ish
Aiwa by Darine

Originally Posted by magdelenam

"Ahla Haga Feeki" by Mohamed Hamaki - It's on " The Best Arabian Album 8"

FYI, there are different versions of this song floating around. The original "Kheles al-Kalam" album version does not have Perry Mystique rapping on it, so if you find the song on a different compilation or as a standalone download, check first for which one it is.

There is a lot of Arabic rap happening now, but the lyrics are often political or otherwise unsuitable. I think Ahmed Mekky's album was officially released this month, which should increase the odds of finding his music legally, and some of his raps are translated over at allthelyrics.com. Offhand, I know "Facebooky" was the first single, but maybe it would be a little weird to perform to a song about Mekky's complaints about people imitating him online.

Qusai (Don Legend the Kamelion) is another rapper who might have something usable. His videos are on YouTube, often with lyrics in the description or over at ATL. This was one of his more recent efforts, a collaboration with Mona Amarsha and Abdel Fatah al-Greeny, two well-known singers (lyrics are a little heavy and Tupac-ish, though):



Depending on your customer's taste, you might also be able to use something like "Howa Fein" from Tamer Hosni's 2009 album or "Missed Call" by Saleh al-Zadjali:





There may be a lead or two over in this thread: Your Favorite Belly Dance Hip Hop Fusion Video... (GIVEAWAY). If you want to poke around on YouTube for more stuff (YMMV on what you'll find, of course) هيب هوب is the Arabic transliteration of "hip hop," and راب is "rap."

And there are always those hoary old chestnuts like "Belly Dancer" by Akon, "Snake Chama" by Avenue Ty, and Breezo (the Sadie & Kaya video), and "Big Pimpin'" by Jay-Z, if that's what the customer wants...

Personally, I think you have to be careful with this sort of fusion. As the immediately above examples demonstrate, when Western rappers do it, the music can come across as ethnically insensitive. When ME musicians try to fuse in foreign influences, it can sound sort of ham-fisted and awkward (How long has the DJ/engineer who put together "Howa Fein" been sampling? Longer than an hour?), or annoying (Why is some guy yelling in English over the top of a perfectly good record? "Ahla Haga Feeki" was a multiple-award-winning song without Perry Mystique's "improvements.") I think it's really hard to blend the styles well. I am afraid that more often than not, you end up with something that is less than the sum of its parts.

Then there's this - could you ask for something more obvious!

Tourbeau has distilled the pitfalls of using ME-inflected hiphop that I was thinking of...the lyrical-suitability/controversy issues, the oft-hamfisted approach to fusing the two...

In some ways what I'm having trouble with is *how hiphop* you -- or the client -- want to go, or what type of hiphop you're after. I'm guessing it's safer to go more at the pop end of the spectrum of hiphop...or even hiphop-infused pop.

Have you considered looking at some of the better-quality remixes of ME pop? Some of them are more what I'd think of as techno rather than hiphop, but maybe that's really more apt?

Things like the Buddha Bar Remix of (yes I know it's overplayed but) Amr Diab's "Habibi"?


I found a really great remix of "El Leila De" not long ago...

It's Turkish (forgive me for not being sure of what style you're doing), but the Özgür Buldum remix of "Dudu" is pretty funkeh and might work:



There are remixes all over the place (I think many are not authorized or whatever, so use caution), and because they're often done by DJs who are exactly into this sort of thing, they might work better than things that start off as rather clumsy style fusions, IMO.

This showed up in a Reyhan video I posted; a couple of us were curious about the song, and Alexandrian (IIRC) was kind enough to ID it. Egyptian hiphop-inflected pop:

Here are the links for the translations to the songs I posted - both are pop with no political message

Darine - Aiwa
Darine - Aiwa[*]

Mohamed Hanaki - Ahla Haga Feeky
Mohamed Hanaki - Ahla haga feeky

Ebony is amazing! Perfect example of fusion done really well.

This may not be helpful in terms of the OP's search for music, but it's worth watching since it's Ebony -

Originally Posted by BELLA_BELLA

Then there's this - could you ask for something more obvious!

Originally Posted by kiyaana

Ebony is amazing! Perfect example of fusion done really well.

This may not be helpful in terms of the OP's search for music, but it's worth watching since it's Ebony -

Wow, how gorgeous is that performance?

I only wish the lighting was a little less harsh.

Originally Posted by Tiziri

Tourbeau has distilled the pitfalls of using ME-inflected hiphop that I was thinking of...the lyrical-suitability/controversy issues

Agree! This is why I came here to ask, instead of picking random songs off Youtube.

Originally Posted by Tiziri

I'm guessing it's safer to go more at the pop end of the spectrum of hiphop...or even hiphop-infused pop.

Agree with this too. The songs posted here that I like most are more hip hop/pop than true hip hop. Like the song Aiwa... that's a really cool one. I think that fits my dance style better.

Love the song postings... and thanks for the suggestions

Hey!

I was curious as to what style of hip hop you'll be using? Is it more old school (think 90's)? Or more like the newer tutting, waving stuff? I've got some suggestions for (clean) rap/ME, reggaeton/ME, dubstep/ME but I wasn't sure what you were looking for!

Also, I think pop music/ME might work, where the pop music has Western/American influence and the lyrics are in English. I have some suggestions for that, too.

I just wanted to ask before I go browsing through thousands of songs on my player..lol!

Ananke

Originally Posted by Ananke

Also, I think pop music/ME might work, where the pop music has Western/American influence and the lyrics are in English. I have some suggestions for that, too.

This. I think I would like pop music that has a hip hop quality to it, rather than straight hip hop. Something like this:



If you have any suggestions from your collection I would appreciate it!!

Okay, here's what I got.

Melissa and Dr. Alban, "Somebody call my name":

I looked up the lyrics, should be clean.

Seneen, "Ideeha". This might be more reggaeton:

I love dancing to this one. I haven't looked up the lyrics, but the boys are cute!

Arash and Shaggy, "Donya". Again, might be more reggaeton:

Lyrics are clean.

Hope that helps!

Shaggy gets around. This was a more recent collaboration, aimed at helping Tamer get out of the doghouse after the career-wrecking spectacle he made of himself in Tahrir Square.

How about a Reggaton version?
we danced to Zeina last week in my rumba class...
but it wasn't "quite" the Zeina I was used to!

Amazon.com: Bellydance Reggaeton (Dig): Tres Mundos: Music

Ananke, Torbeau - thanks for those song postings!! I think they will work for my set.

Originally Posted by caasious

How about a Reggaton version?
we danced to Zeina last week in my rumba class...
but it wasn't "quite" the Zeina I was used to!

Amazon.com: Bellydance Reggaeton (Dig): Tres Mundos: Music

Wow, that is different... but I like it!

I feel better about my set now... I was worried I would have music I wasn't really comfortable with. I really like the songs here.

On a side note I just looked at your website and the monkeys are adorable.

Glad to help! Please do let us know how things go, and good luck to you!

Oh, and caasious, that's a very interesting album! I like. :-)

Sure! The gig is a couple of months away, so I will be working on it. But I'm listening to "Ideeha" in the car already