25-02-2010
Rudaw - In the run-up to the Iraqi election on 7 March Kurdish political parties use street hip-hop to get votes, reports the Kurdish newspaper Hawlati. “We will destroy corruption,” raps Hame Rap, who sympathizes with the Kurdish opposition group Gorran (Change).
But a rapper of the Kurdistan Alliance raps, “only Barzani can be our president.” Hiphop is very popular amongst the youth in Iraqi Kurdistan. While the Change list uses the artist Hame Rap, the Kurdistani Alliance uses the group Kûranî Rap.
Also the Islamic Union of Kurdistan (IUK) uses rap. A campaign leader of IUK said hiphop is not contradictory to Islam. “It looks much like traditional Kurdish singing like Heyran and Lawik”.
Hip hop was also used during the regional elections in Kurdistan. The campaign song during the Kurdish elections of Change (Gorran)also contained rap music.
© Rudaw
