We just concluded our first edition of Rap and Beyond, a summer edition, and we couldn’t be prouder and happier to have had the opportunity to host such diverse and inspiring artists for a one-week residency and two nights of concerts.
Rap and Beyond is a collaboration between Beirut and Beyond (Lebanon) and the World Culture Museums (Sweden), joining forces to promote and support women’s voices in the Rap, Hip Hop, and Trap scenes in the MENA region. The aim was to address the gender gap in these music genres, and this wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of the Swedish Institute.
After launching an open call in February following our annual festival, we selected eight artists from Egypt, Sudan, Iraq, Morocco, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
Due to the overwhelming number of talented applications, we decided to increase the number of selected participants from eight to ten. The additional artists included Laila Beshara, ENANA, Nadine El Roubi, Frizzy, Xena Elshazli, Minerva, Nayomi, Sabine Salame, MedusaTN, and Thawra.
Unfortunately, two of our selected artists, Thawra and Enana, were unable to join us due to visa restrictions.
The selected participants gathered in Maaser El Chouf and Beirut, Lebanon for a five-day residency from the 21st to the 25th of May. During this time, they attended workshops, worked on composing and recording a new song in collaboration with other residency members, and were guided by Yara Said, also known as Noise Diva, the residency’s music producer. They also got to know and share experiences with musical figures in the Lebanese Rap, Hip-Hop-Trap scene, such as Blu Fiefer.
Following the residency, the eight selected artists and their producer took the stage at KED Beirut on the 26th and 27th of May to showcase their work and collaborations. They were joined by special guest Perrie (EGY), with an appearance by Blu Fiefer (LEB).
We are incredibly proud to have hosted this residency and produced two nights of concerts filled with unapologetic feminine energy that both we and the crowd have been longing for in this scene. It has been a humbling experience to meet, witness, share, and be inspired by each other throughout the entire week. We hope to continue with this initiative and organize a similar one in the future.