Despite
residing in Norway, Palestinian rhymer, Sallam Naser, has been an
ever-present in the ears of rap fans in the Middle East. Considered one of the
most skilled lyricists and writers to come out of a Levant region that’s full
of them, his latest track, ‘Leqa7’ (vaccine) showcases exactly that in the
purest of ways. Sitting on a kind-of minimal soundscape, the track doesn’t
exactly have a beat. Instead, it pulsates and drones, letting the rapper’s
flawless flow take centre stage alongside his intelligent lyricism.
“I noticed
this [Intelligent lyricism] when I started rapping around others, and saw that
my way of writing was different from anyone else’s,” Naser told SceneNoise in a
2019 interview. “I saw some people who deliver a nice flow with no meaning or
substance to their rap. Personally, I try bring together a lot of ideas in the
same sentence or bar, linking them throughout the songs I make. From a lyrical
point of view, I try to make my rap relatable and accessible as much as I can,
so that anyone can understand me and relate to the events I depict.”
A native of
Haifa, Naser was born in Syria and grew up in the Yarmouk Camp, home of one of
the biggest Palestinian refugee communities in Syria. Since relocating to Drammen,
Norway under asylum, the rapper has also made a name for himself on the country’s
rap battle scene, while also picking up praise from the likes of the BBC.
Check out SceneNoise's full interview with Naser here.
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Sallam Naser on SoundCloud, Instagram and Facebook.
