DAM (band)

All you want to know about DAM (band)

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DAM
Origin Flag of Israel Lod, Israel
Years active 1999 – present
Website dampalestine.com

DAM (Arabic: دام; Hebrew: דם) is the first Palestinian hip hop group. The group, based in Israel, was founded in 1999 by brothers Tamar and Suhell Nafar and their friend Mahmoud Jreri. The group's name is the Arabic verb for "to last forever/eternity" (دام) and the Hebrew word for "blood" (דם), but can also be an acronym for "Da Arabic MCs." The Arabic word for "blood" (دم) is spelled similarly, but without an alif.

DAM sings primarily in Arabic, but also in English and Hebrew to widen their audience appeal.

The group's lyrics often deal with the frustration at the feeling of being second class citizens in Israel, as well as other issues familiar to hip-hop fans around the world, including drug-related violence.

"Our city, Lod, is considered the biggest drug market in the Middle East. You can get everything here - including weed and cocaine," says Tamer Nafer, lead rapper of the group.

Despite not having a formal recording contract, DAM's 2001 single "Meen Erhabe? - Who's the Terrorist? - was downloaded more than a million times from their website. The group has also performed outside Israel and the Palestinian territories on four European tours.

Their live performances feature images of Israeli soldiers clashing with stone-throwing Palestinians.

Despite this, DAM's latest single "Born Here" is in Hebrew

"Arabs already know how they live - we have to educate Israelis on what's going on."Born Here" contains the line “Avarti al hachok? Lo lo, ha chok aver a’lie, die die, rabotie”, “I violated the law? No no, the law violated me. Enough is enough gentlemen”. Criticizing the letter of the law in the language of the law is a powerful statement of awareness regarding the systemic degradation of the Palestinian people condoned by Israel’s legal code as it is sometimes interpreted and enforced by the military and police.

The group collaborated with Israeli rock band Shotei Hanevuah on the song Generations Demand Peace.

On the 17th of November 2006 they released their first album: "Dedication".

They appeared on Al Jazeera's program From Washington on June 4, 2007, during a report on Arabic hip hop.

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