For this special performance, Assasi will weave stories of his native country’s culture, the Syrian 2011 revolution, and his family’s experiences in the subsequent civil war through acoustic Middle Eastern music and Arabic hip-hop. Bringing the ancient storytelling form of Hakawati into the modern age, Assasi will celebrate stories of youth resistance and cultural resilience.

Assasi dons the red tarboush (fez) and carefully arranges a scarf on his left shoulder before each performance. He seems trapped between the past; a golden era of Arab music and culture, and the utopian future; a society free of today’s hang-ups and conflicts, in which individuals and their unique gifts flourish in safety. Through each performance, Assasi channels the essence of Hakawati, the storytellers of Syria. Mixing together the traditional instruments of the Middle East with modern hip hop beats, Assasi takes the audience on a journey of his life weaving together elements of love, betrayal, loss, and happiness.

Emerging from Aleppo, Syria’s most ancient city and cultural capital, Assasi traded his school uniform and basketball shoes for an unwavering commitment to hip hop. Twenty years later he graduated from the School of Adversity with degrees in disappointments, tragedy, and exile. When his mentor and Bilad El-Sham movement co-creator Big K was killed, Assasi used the grief to fuel his first successful release, “Clinic of Bilad El-Sham.” The seven tracks featured classic Oriental samples, lyrics exploring social issues, and vocals by Rai singer Cheb Wahid. The delayed release party featured a live band and kicked off experiments fusing hip hop with various instrumental accompaniments.

Like so many young Syrian creatives during the civil war, he landed in Beirut for a few years before hardening borders drove him to India, Nepal, Malaysia, and finally the United States. Hip hop remained Assasi’s anchor through it all. His upcoming project, “Third World Wide,” reflects this global journey as well as the friends, influences, and lessons Assasi picked up along the way. Assasi is now based in New York City. His music remains a fusion of the Arabic-language rap with a rich tapestry of modern and traditional sounds from the Arab world and the diverse cultures he has encountered since leaving Syria in 2012. While he remains unable to safely return to Syria, Assasi leverages hip-hop’s collaborative storytelling using the tradition of Hakawati style to connect with his home culture and build solidarity in his adopted communities.

Barzakh Cafe

Barzakh Cafe

Barzakh Cafe