As Arab rappers challenge the old ways, despots hit back

“I’M A WOMAN in a land of dicks,” raps Khtek, a Moroccan student, whose first single, “KickOff”, went viral in February. Her lyrics criticise the country’s gaping inequality and stifling political, social and sexual hierarchies. Her tattoos and blue hair defy the kingdom’s traditions. “My rap is a voice for those who don’t have one,” says Khtek, a stage-name which in darija, Morocco’s vernacular, means “your sister”.

Rap music came to the Middle East a generation ago, when Moroccans studying in the West returned with it. King Muhammad VI has promoted hip-hop as a cultural antidote to Islamism. But it has been embraced most enthusiastically by the urban poor, who create their own tracks in local slang. Nowadays Arab rappers challenge conservative mores and articulate the fury of disenfranchised, jobless youths. Last year their protest songs became anthems in the mass demonstrations that toppled leaders in Algeria, Sudan and Iraq.

Morocco’s rap scene is probably the most lit in the Arab world. Manal Benchlikha, simply known as Manal (pictured, on bike), is a symbol of girl power. One of her songs notched up 43m views on YouTube. Female rappers often challenge the taboos of a patriarchal society. “I rap for queers and the discriminated,” says Khtek. Others challenge officials and the police. A song...