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The United Arab Emirates is home to a distinctively cosmopolitan culture, and this show spotlights various elements of hip-hop as expressed in the UAE, long considered a global crossroads due to its geographical location and multicultural population.

Featured performers include: 

• Abu Dhabi-born Mustafa Ismail aka Freek, a sought-after pioneer of Arabic drill and trap-style rap.  
• Maitha Al Suwaidi, Dorian “Paul D” Rogers, and Jaysus Zain, members of the Rooftop Rhythms poetry collective and stalwarts of the UAE’s rich spoken-word and hip-hop scenes. 
• Fafa, one of the leading lights of the UAE independent music scene, who writes and sings soulful and emotionally open dance songs and ballads.
• NOON, whose transnational improvisations mix breakbeats and funk with North African oud.  
• Polymath Philip Rachid, aka Soultrotter, who brings together leading b-girl Lana Ramadan and b-boy Zilla for dance breaks. Soultrotter’s performance will also feature live beat-making in a transmedia collaboration with digital “calligraffiti” artists Michael Ang, aka Mang and Diaa Allam, and visualist Tegan McDuffie.  

This event is curated by Bill Bragin/The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi as part of the Festival program United Arab Emirates: Living Landscape | Living Memory.