Arabic Hip Hop

Arabic hip hop is hip hop music and culture originating in the Arabic-speaking world. It is performed in Arabic, and local Arabic dialects, English, French, Berber languages (Tamazight). Like most artists of the genre, the artists from the Arab world are highly influenced by American hip hop.

Also considered part of Arabic hip hop are emcees of Arab origin in the Arab diaspora including Europe, North America, and Australia.

Arabic hip hop is played on radio stations and shown on TV programs, but live hip hop performances only began in the 1990s. Many hip hop groups are still underground because their political views could lead to government censure. Therefore, the Internet has been a major outlet for most groups. Hip-hop in Arab states has been mobilized and spread through online social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter. Consequently, and in the context of recent political movements in the region, hip-hop has played a role in contesting against states who have long inhibited the freedom of expression.