Story thread · 3 reports / 3 sources

Shabjdeed and Saint Levant: Who gets to define Palestinian authenticity?

thenationalnews.com · 7dShare

Saint Levant has often cited fellow Palestinian rapper Shabjdeed as one of his heroes. This week, that hero became a foe with the release of SLV , a hip-hop diss track taking aim at Saint Levant ’s catalogue, image and, more contentiously, his public stance on the plight of Palestine . With both artists astute students of hip-hop, the release could also be viewed as a deft marketing move, with Shabjdeed taking umbrage at their clashing gigs in Amman, Jordan, on August 13. One thing is clear: this is not yet a rap battle, because that requires a response. At the time of writing, Saint Levant has kept his counsel despite fans clamouring for a response to Shabjdeed’s lyrical attack. “I’m confused by you. I don’t understand you. You don’t convince me. Sometimes I respect your ability to execute your ideas, especially your focus on women,” Shabjdeed begins in the opening verse, alluding to the romantic and occasionally flirtatious lyrics in Saint Levant’s work before crudely questioning his

First report: Saint Levant and Shabjdeed feud: More than just rap beef — newarab.com, 8d