Mahmood Jrere

Rhythm of the Tribe — Jrere's first solo album is called Eqaa’ Elqabila (The Rhythm of the Tribe), which, in Arabic, is a double entendre that also means "taking down the tribe." The songs on this album address a variety of social issues, like: sectarianism, stereotypes, violence against women, and so-called "honor killings." Sounds of Hip Hop beats, Metal, Rock, and traditional Arabic music interweave together throughout the album giving The Rhythm of the Tribe a unique sound rarely heard in Middle Eastern music or Hip Hop elsewhere. Mahmood Jrere and DAM — Mahmood Jrere is a member of the first Palestinian Hip Hop group, DAM. He was born and raised in the impoverished city of Lyd, where he witnessed drug-abuse and violence on a daily basis. Jrere, along with the other two members of DAM, began putting what they saw outside their window onto paper. In 2001, their song Meen Erhabi (Who’s the Terrorist) was downloaded a million times and took their fame to new heights. Thanks to their powerful and poetic lyrics, their songs resonated not only with youth, but with the older generations as well. DAM went on to release two successful albums, Ihda and Dabke on the Moon. They toured the world performing in clubs, universities, and in the biggest music festivals like Le Printemps de Bourges, Womad, Casa Music, Trans Musicales and Italia Wave. They’ve collaborated and played alongside artists such as Fermin Muguruza, Rachid Taha, and Amal Murkus.