Ep 4: MAMLUK

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is SohaI go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house."WATCHIf you enjoyed listening to this episode, you can also WATCH it with the full visualizer on my YouTube Channel. You'll see my walk in Mar Mkhael, Saleh, Ziggy, and I on the motorcycle, Chyno's soundcheck (shot with permission of course) and more!SOUNDTRACKE4 Soundtrack. Episode 4, "MAMLUK," features interviews with Chyno and Ziggy. They represent different generations in Lebanese rap but embody the same ethos of authenticity and immersion. I hope you enjoy some of my favorites from their catalogue as well as music produced by Aladin, whose also featured in E4.THANK YOUChyno with a Why? for agreeing to sit down for an interview on one of the most busy days of his life!Ziggy for bringing his full self to our conversationAladin for finding the W in this situationSaleh for being the best sidekick a girl could hope for!LEARN MORE Hip hop tingsArticle: How protest and resistance in Syria and Lebanon shaped a progressive rap sceneArticle: Straight Outta Syria: Meet the young refugee rappers with a messageDocumentary: 961 Underground: The Rise of Lebanese Hip Hop (2012)by DJ Lethal Skillz: The definitive documentary about the rise of Lebanese hip hop culture by the spin master himself, DJ Lethal Skillz.Documentary | El Arena: the award winning documentary by Soul House Media is a must watchEl Arena YouTube channel: watch rappers from across the MENA region converge on Beirut and go head to head. Pro-tip: if you know Arabic, watch Kalach vs. Al Darwish for some heavy duty social commentary about the tension between Syrian refugees and Lebanese citizens.The aftermath of the Beirut Port ExplosionVideo: "Walking in Mar Mikhael one Week After Beirut’s Blast"Video: Beirut Residents Help Clean Up Debris From ExplosionArticle: "With brooms and shovels, Lebanese volunteers show the true spirit of Beirut" Article: After the blast: how Beirut’s clean-up operation is exposing Lebanon’s wider state dysfunctionArticle: After Beirut explosion, Lebanese volunteers flock to help clean upSiege on Naher al-Bared Refugee CampVideo: Nahr al-Bared Camp: Two Years Under SiegeArticle: Tense siege continues at Lebanon’s Nahr al-Bared refugee campArticle: Nahr al-Bared shelling intensifiesArticle: THE SEIGE OF NAHR AL-BARED AND THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANONArticle: Lost and found: when Shatila welcomed Nahr al-BaredSyrian Civil WarArticle: Syria's Civil War Started A Decade Ago. Here's Where It StandsVideo: Syrians mark 12 years of civil war with no end in sightPodcast: Conflicted: SyriaDocumentary: Born in Syria Documentary: For SamaVideo: The Harrowing Personal Stories of Syrian Refugees, in Their Own WordsSyrian Refugees in LebanonArticle: Syria Refugee Crisis ExplainedVideo: Displaced in Lebanon: Syrian refugees face tougher restrictionsArticle: Lebanon: Armed Forces Summarily Deporting SyriansArticle: Lebanon’s government is squeezing out Syrian refugeesProtest movement and civil...