Mazen El Sayed, also known as El Rass, is a Lebanese hip-hop artist[1] with over 200 singles and 9 albums to date.[2] El Rass' incorporation of both Classical Arabic and modern street slang in his lyrics has resulted in scholarly attention regarding his music as works of poetry.[3]

Arab News listed his album Ard El Khof in their list of best Arab alternative albums of 2022,[4] and his subsequent 2023 concert and talk in Toronto received international coverage.[5]

Biography

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El Rass was born in 1984[3] in Tripoli, Lebanon[2] to a kindergarten teacher and a left-wing Arab nationalist engineer. According to El Rass, as a high school student attending the best high school in Tripoli, a French lyceum, he often felt alienated from his wealthier classmates. After two years as a banker in Paris, he returned to Lebanon to dedicate himself to music and journalism.[1]

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Marrouch, Rima (2013-03-30). "Arab hip-hop's El Rass takes on rap and revolution". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  2. ^ a b "El Rass • Contemporary • Kings Place". Kings Place. 2024-09-04. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  3. ^ a b Blasio, Emanuela De (2021-05-25). "Language and style of the contemporary poet El Rass: a peculiar artist in the Lebanese musical scenario". Anaquel de Estudios Árabes. 32: 117–140. doi:10.5209/anqe.73651. ISSN 1988-2645.
  4. ^ "The best Arab alternative albums of 2022". Arab News. 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2024-11-01.
  5. ^ "Lebanese rapper El-Rass gives artist talk in Toronto". The Times of Israel. 2023-08-08. Retrieved 2024-11-02.