{"product_id":"filling-the-head-listening-to-rap-in-arabic-hardcover","title":"Filling the Head: Listening to Rap in Arabic - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eRayya El Zein\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen asked what drew them to experimental Arabic-language rap, performers and fans shared a common refrain: various artists or tracks \"filled their head\" ('\u003ci\u003eabba rasshom\u003c\/i\u003e), offering relief from their dissatisfaction, cynicism, resignation, and disgust with contemporary politics and society. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBased on ethnographic research in Ramallah (Palestine), Amman (Jordan), and Beirut (Lebanon), \u003ci\u003eFilling the Head\u003c\/i\u003e reveals how youths in these cities have maneuvered the challenges of making music while also navigating shifting geopolitical landscapes. Through these everyday experiences of being moved by music or ideas, Rayya El Zein explores how ordinary patterns of motion and emotion provide a space for political engagement when spectacular political movements like protests, strikes, or revolutions feel far away, forced, or otherwise impossible. In contrast to existing narratives that equate rap with popular political resistance against oppressive regimes, she argues instead for affective engagement through \u003ci\u003eistifzaz\u003c\/i\u003e--provocation or surprise--as well as yearning. Within this avant-garde genre, there is no design to reach the masses with a political message; in fact, as El Zein demonstrates, the refusal of artists to confine their lyrical or musical experimentation to an ethos of resistance creates an aesthetic whose lack of singular politics defines it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThreading reflections from fans, rappers, DJs, producers, and venue owners with thick descriptions of live concerts and mediated listening practices, \u003ci\u003eFilling the Head \u003c\/i\u003eoffers new insights into what it means politically to be moved.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRayya El Zein is an independent writer and researcher. She holds a PhD in Theatre and Performance from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 190\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.56 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 03, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53179286618409,"sku":"9780253072962","price":142.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0916\/4960\/5929\/files\/lox66RGWig9780253072962.webp?v=1778899862","url":"https:\/\/www.thescholarssourcebookstore.co\/products\/filling-the-head-listening-to-rap-in-arabic-hardcover","provider":"The Scholar's Source","version":"1.0","type":"link"}