Tupac Shakur: Hero of Israeli-Ethiopian musicians
Young Israeli-Ethiopians who suffer from discrimination reject local Israeli music, preferring to relate to African-American rap artists like Tupac Shakur.
"They want you to change as they don't really care about you, they don't accept anyone who isn't like them — And you, do you care about yourself?" These are the opening words of the song "God willing" by Kalkidan, an Israeli rapper of Ethiopian origin. The song is about the identity crisis he experienced when he was required to change his name, "great promise" in Amharic, for a Hebrew name fit for Israel. "Your name meant a warrior — not an inferior. Do you want to become a part of the melting pot? Dude, that's nothing but a lot of hot air."
He goes on, "Maybe you should take a few seconds to think of a Hebrew name. Avraham, Yitzhak or Yaacov, a common name or a biblical one ... at the age of three rap was a drug. Today it's a weapon."
