By Sarah Alaoui
Staff Writer

Amidst the debris of 9/11, strong voices emerged-some good, but many only added to the tension-ridden atmosphere. Some people chose to use this disaster to promote and reiterate stereotypes, stirring up more hatred and dividing communities in the process. On the other end of the spectrum, however, an influx of Arab-American artists, poets, musicians and comedians made it their mission to lift the veil of hurt and confusion that seemed to envelope the country for so long and lead us, step by step, to the path of understanding and perhaps, acceptance.

Among the talents that became known during this crucial time for our country and our Arab communities, is Syrian-American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum. Born in Saudi Arabia, he immigrated to the United States at age four with his family where he was raised in the Washington D.C. area. There, he attended The Islamic Saudi Academy up through the end of high school where he learned how to read and write Arabic fluently.

He studied architecture at the University of Virginia, which was where his appreciation for music and hip-hop materialized itself into a side hobby and a thriving passion.

“I began making beats, writing lyrics and performing at local venues and parties with my Sudanese partner-in-rhyme, Mr. Tibbz,” Offendum said.

He viewed the aftermath of 9/11 as an opportunity- one where he could make sense of the two cultures he grew up with (Muslim/Arab and Western/American) through a familiar medium that non-Arabs could embrace and relate to. He spread his opinions and messages through hip-hop. He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and worked on several collaborative albums and projects including “N.O.M.A.D.S.” with Mr. Tibbz and Free-the-P mixtape with Ragtop of the Philistines (a compilation dedicated to the youth of Palestine). In addition to using his music as a source of both education and entertainment, he has used it to promote and raise thousands of dollars for aid organizations such as The Free-Gaza Movement and Islamic Relief.

He is not only involved with the Arab community, but he has also collaborated with a wide variety of artists representing America’s diverse culture. He has performed and created lectures with spoken words artist and activist, Mark Gonzales, as well as performing regularly at the Los Angeles Asian American community’s weekly Tuesday night café in Little Tokyo.

“Bridging cultural gaps between minority groups in the U.S. can elevate & empower us collectively,” Offendum said.

Why the name, Offendum? It is a play on words meaning in one sense, “master, general, or sir” as its Turkish definition indicates, but the way he spells it, it could also refer to the conjuring up of offensive imagery through real, reflective lyrics as seen through the artist’s eyes.

“I wanted my name to embody the way my culture has been so grossly misrepresented in the mainstream media, as well as my desire to change that… and how a word can mean one thing here- and something entirely different when you are halfway across the world,” Offendum said.

Omar Offendum’s first solo album, SyrianamericanA will be released by the end of the year.

“On it I experiment with a number of different ideas and topics, from translating the poetry of Nizar Qabbani into English hip-hop songs, to creating some of my first Arabic verses. It will be a glimpse of Syria through an American’s eyes, and America through a Syrian’s,” Offendum said.

Published in The Independent Monitor September 2009 issue.

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