Tunisian Rappers Unionize

Tunisia's rap artists have formed a union:

Tunisian rappers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf

Tunisian rappers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers.

Wajdi Bouzaid, secretary-general of the National Union of Tunisian Rappers, said rap is “marginalized” and that the union aims to “gather Tunisian rappers under a legal framework,” in an interview with Tunisia Live. 

The union, Bouzaid said, has 100 members, all of whom must produce a minimum amount of songs consistently to qualify for membership. The rappers’ union is a part of the Tunisian General Confederation for Work...

A union exists for singers, the Professional Singer’s union, but Xcali said that rappers were not represented.

Xcali and Boss say that rap’s image in Tunisia needs to be improved.

While Tunisian rap was inspired by its foreign counterpart, Xcali says that Tunisian rap is different because it deals with a separate Arab-Muslim identity.

The link has more about the organization of the Tunisian music scene and the place of rappers within it.  The western media coverage of the Tunisian Revolution and its aftermath has included just enough snippets to suggest that some rappers are playing the role of a countercultural political soundtrack much the way Mark LeVine described for another genre in his book Heavy Metal Islam.  I suspect, however, that the Islamists of Ennahda are not pro-rap, even if it has a "separate Arab-Muslim identity."

Wajdi Bouzaid, secretary-general of the National Union of Tunisian Rappers, said rap is “marginalized” and that the union aims to “gather Tunisian rappers under a legal framework,” in an interview with Tunisia Live. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf

Tunisian ra.ppers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf

Tunisian rappers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf

Tunisian rappers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf

Tunisian rappers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf

Tunisian rappers have recently formed a union to defend their rights and create a legal umbrella to support rappers. - See more at: http://www.tunisia-live.net/2013/10/17/union-formed-to-represent-tunisian-rappers/#sthash.Ekin1gMn.dpuf