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Rap Musicians Censored in Gaza

As rap music grows in popularity, rap musicians face increasing censorship, writes Asmaa al-Ghoul.
Mohammad Al-Fara (R) and Ayman Maghames practise one of their Arabic rap songs in Gaza September 20, 2006. The Palestinian youth rappers in Gaza use western music in their songs in which they said they spoke about national and social causes of the Palestinian people. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Mohammad Antar is a 26-year-old rapper. For over a year, Mohammed has been practicing the songs he has written in front of the mirror. He will be lucky if he even gets a chance to perform them during an "underground" concert, with only his friends as the audience.

However, 15 months have passed since he last performed on a stage or before an audience.

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