Hip-Hop, History, and Identity - Breaking it Down with Syrian American Rapper Omar Offendum

UChicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies

Syrian American hip-hop artist, poet, and peace activist Omar Offendum discusses hip-hop as history and education with Thomas E.R. Maguire, Associate Director of the University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES). Omar tells the story behind his recent Little Syria project and addresses his experience as Citizen Artist Fellow at the Kennedy Center, the bilingual nature of his work, and his collaborations with the Arab American National Museum, Chicago Public Schools, and CMES K-12 Arabic outreach programs. This episode was produced by Nora Kane. Views and opinions expressed in the episode are the participants’ own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies.