“In Beirut, we have enough freedom of speech where [people from] different countries can come together, interact, and be critical without being held in contempt,” declared Nasser “Chyno” Shorbaji. “I’m here because of the feeling of freedom.”
With Edd Abbas, Chyno has been the lyricist beneath the politically inspired verses of Fareeq El Atrash. After years of absence, the beloved hip-hop group reunited at Station Beirut Thursday evening, packing the Jisr al-Wati venue with loyal fans.
On the sidelines of the Station show, Chyno chatted with The Daily Star about the project that’s filled the Fareeq El Atrash void, “The Arena.”
Back in 2015, LA-based Lebanese rapper “Dizaster” got in touch with Edd Abbas about staging a rap battle on Mar Mikhael’s Vendome stairs. It was considered a highly successful event, with rap enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds coming together to support Dizaster and Abbas.
Chyno was invited to organize the contest and what started as a bit of fun has now become a serious project for him.
Born to Syrian-Filipino parents, the 33-year-old rapper has always valued hip-hop’s inclusivity. Chyno and his diverse crew of collaborators have long tried to live by a philosophy of communalism and acceptance. “I was in Saudi Arabia,” he recalled, “and hip-hop started coming out and I was like, ‘Wow, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard or seen.’”
Hip-hop’s inclusivity, he said, allowed him to adopt the idea of “being different but still fitting in.” The form has always been a protest, he remarked, noting how rap pertains to struggles like Black Lives Matter and the Palestinian cause.
With the enthusiastic encouragement of Beirut’s hip-hop community, Chyno developed The Arena, which he calls the first Arabic-language battle rap league.
Its events have featured rappers from Jordan, Syria, and Egypt as well as Lebanese performers. Rappers are paired-up and, depending on the flip of a coin, rhyme in either English or Arabic.
There are few expressions of anticipation as intense as those of onlookers in the seconds before the first rhymes of a rap battle. Once the lyricists take the stage, a rumbling crowd of energetic rap fans recedes into mesmerized silence as the savage poetry begins.
The uninitiated might dismiss battle-rapping as insult in the form of spoken-word poetry, but it’s not that clear cut. Offstage, contestants are friendly and their abrasive literary dissing never seems to provoke ill feeling. Aside from being comic, the back-and-forth is also a source of fulfillment and exhilaration.
Though the rounds can be like a rollercoaster ride, as a rapper tries to sway the crowd against his opponent, there is seldom post-rap resentment. Through the battlers’ engaging tug-of-war – and responses they provoke in the crowd – participants and spectators eventually reach a state something like catharsis.
It’s the exchanges’ hypnotic and lighthearted nature that leaves battles with no real “winner” and ultimately build a strong sense of camaraderie among everyone in The Arena.
The charismatic host of these contests, Chyno’s objective with The Arena is to discover talent and provide a platform for promising hip-hop prospects.In his vision of “boot camp,” unique amateur rappers are invited to showcase their skills in the opening act of each contest.
Chyno feels the hip-hop community should be welcoming and understanding. Though The Arena has been male-dominated, and rap has tended to be hyper-masculine, Chyno is trying to ensure his network of artists remains empathetic and portray women in a positive light. He’s always looking for talent to step into the battleground, he adds, regardless of their gender or social background.
The dates for The Arena’s future rap battles are yet to be announced but, based on the exponential success of the last few events, it’s clear they will be highly-anticipated and the community of hip-hop lovers in Beirut will continue to grow.
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