"It's not a hobby anymore, it is a mission" ~ Amani Yahya
Amani Yahya is considered to be Yemen's first female rapper. Amani was born in Yemen but was forced to move to Saudi Arabia when war broke out in Yemen. When she was young, she taught herself how to speak English. She never took a formal class, instead learning by watching English movies, TV shows, and music videos. She enjoyed listening to a lot of American rap artists and began to teach herself how to rap.Amani raps about women's issues, specifically issues faced by women in Yemen and women in the middle east. She raps about problems women face such as violence against women and child marriage.
"I want to give young Yemen girls a voice".
Amani's goal is to tell the stories of women and girls who often times go unheard. Amani raps in both English and Arabic, though she says she likes rapping in English because she feels it gets these stories out to a larger audience. Her song, "Mary", which is rapped in English is the true story of a girl Amani met who was married to a much older man when she was twelve years old. Amani felt the need to tell this girl's story and to reveal the horrors of child marriage.
Amani admits that she very often gets threats due to her speaking out about these issues. She has had threats made against her life and her family. She is extremely determined however and refuses to stop rapping and speaking out. To Amani, "It's not a hobby anymore, it is a mission". Amani feels that it is her duty to continue speaking out against child marriage and violence and to continue being a voice to those who need one.
With four other middle eastern rappers, Amani helped write "a Free Woman: International Woman's Day Rap". The rap, which is performed in Arabic talks about the struggles women face. Amani raps about how women are told that the most they can be is a school teacher and how women are essential. below are links to both the song and the English translation.
"A Free Woman: International Woman's Day Rap"
Lyrics and Translation
Amani's music gives thousands of women and girls a voice that they might not have otherwise. She is using her platform to invoke awareness for the struggles of women in Yemen despite the risk she takes. When asked why she does not rap about personal issues like many other artists, she responded with "the world has bigger problems then my breakups," and prefers to not perform her more personal songs. Her music has truly touched my heart. It is breath taking to watch her tell these stories and bring them to focus.
Sources:
Khaleeli, Homa. “Amani Yahya, Yemen's First Female Rapper: I Will Find a Way, I Will Shine.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 8 June 2015,
“Lincoln Center Global Exchange - Amani Yahya & Daveed Diggs.” Lincoln Center,
WFGlobalMeeting09. “MC Conversation with the Audience And...Amazing Women - Amani Yahya.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Dec. 2016,
I think it's really interesting the way she fights for women's rights. Her platform is music, and her type of music is rap. It's not as traditional like holding lectures or participating in protests. It's a platform that is modern and geared toward our generation. Which in my opinion, is genius.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this, and I was especially interested in her music because I have been listening and paying attention to a lot more rap music recently. At it's best, rap can send a powerful message in a uniquely poetic way, and with how fast modern day rap is evolving, I think it's the perfect platform for her to spread her message. It's also very impressive that she taught herself the English language through non-conventional means, and yet has has such a grasp on it that she can use it to make music with flow, rhythm, and a powerful message.
ReplyDeleteI find this girl absolutely fascinating. The fact that she taught herself to speak English (without any training) enough to then rap is truly remarkable. I never used to like rap until I got older, and now I see it as another musical art form that can be just as poetic and meaningful as any other genre. I really commend her for using rap to spread her message, and I'm really curious to hear one of her songs!
ReplyDeleteThis woman really fascinates me because I always love to see people using music in order to fight for social justice and tell the stories of some to inspire others. I'm amazed that she taught herself English through just watching English TV and that she uses English in her songs to reach out to different cultures of girls. She is a true feminist because she cares about the women around her more than herself and I love the quote about how "the world has bigger problems than my breakups." This shows how she isn't the typical sad girl rapping around boys, but is rather fighting for a bigger cause. I admire that she continues her work despite the threats she receives and how she basically puts her life on the line in order to inform others of the injustice going on in women's lives around the world.
ReplyDeleteThis young women is very similar to who I focused my blog on! I am always impressed by artists who use their music as a positive outlet to spread their messages. Like those who commented before me, I am very impressed that she taught herself enough of the English language in order to rap. By doing this she helped ensure that her message would be spread across the world, not just in her country. I applaud her for standing up to those who threaten her for expressing her views. While she could be spending her time writing music about breakup and fights, she looks a the bigger picture. She knows that the work she is doing is helping improve the lives of thousands of women. Thank you for choosing to focus on this amazing young woman!
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