The Brothahood

DEXTEROUS RAPPING, DJ cuts, beat boxing and thumping instrumental tracks - these are not the elements normally associated with Islamic music. But for the Brothahood, Australia's renowned Muslim hip-hop group, their gritty sonic landscapes represent a growing global music movement that has created a stir from the streets of London, New York to Paris and Dubai. The Brothahood are five young Australian conscious rappers who use hip-hop as a tool to smash down stereotypes and misconceptions of ‘Muslims in the West’. They created a whole new theme to the Australian hip hop scene whilst maintaining hip hop’s core essence: taught and intelligent rhymes and production skills that are sharp and always on point. Disillusioned with modern hip-hop’s celebration of gun play and misogyny, the Brothahood tracks are reflections on real life and on the struggles of real people who are deemed ‘outsiders’ by their society. The results are socially conscious tracks such as The Silent Truth – which topped the JJJ Unearthed Hip Hop Chart in 2007 - in which Brothahood members Jehad Dabab, Moustafa Dabab, Ahmed Ahmed, Hesham Habibullah and Timur Bakan describe everyday life in Australia post-September 11 and Cronulla: From beer I refrain / Prayers I maintain/ Can't get on a plane without copping all the blame/ People can't ya see that we are all the same? / Children of Adam but playing the blame game. With a growing fan base courtesy of their very own SYNFM Hip Hop Radio Show (The Conscious Hip Hop Show), and performances ranging from local community gigs to giant music festivals in the Vodafone and Acer Arenas, the Brothahood hip hop’s message of inclusion and self empowerment have struck a chord with not only the hip hop community but also the greater Australian society. “Lyrics of Mass Construction” is not only a thrilling aural document of their trail blazing journey thus far, but the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the history of Australian hip hop. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.