Since this is my first musical post, I’d like to take it back to the basics …
The ABC’s if you will ...
Produced by CessLess – a talented young beatmaker from Manhattan – and featuring yours truly - Omar Offendum … this track is a little taste of what’s to come in 2009 …
Allif – Baa’ … Alpha – Beta … A – B ... See ya later ...
Alphabetic Brothers Can Disseminate Energy Fluidly Guiding Hereditary Imagery Justice Kindness Lovely Marriages Never Of Perimeters Questioned Regularly Suspected Terrorismist Under Victory's Watch Xenophobic Young - Zealots - Yeild Xeroxed World Views Unintelligent Televangelists So Readily Quoted People Often Needing Motivation Lost Kids Joke It Hurts Getting Fingerprinted Everyday Discriminated Called Barbaric - Arab - By Crusaders Desecrated Entering Foreign Gates Hesitantly Immigrated Journeying Kaleidoscopic Languages Miseducated Naturalized Organized Prophesized Quadraphonic Record Set Typed Up Verse War Xylophonic Yell Zero 1 2 3 4 5 6 +10 Alphabetic Bars spit that's it...
"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy."
- President Barack Hussein Obama
Regarding Obamania ... couldn't help but feel taken by the scene in DC yesterday ... After all, it is where I grew up - and where so much good (& bad) happens ... Yesterday was definitely a positive step ... America needed it & the world needed to see & hear it ...
Although, like many Arabs/Muslims, I am concerned about some of the stances he has taken with respect to our foreign policy - particularly his most recent choice to not speak up when over a thousand Palestinian civilians were slaughtered in Gaza on our dime ... He did (finally) address both Muslims in America & the "Muslim World" as a whole ... Offering a hopeful alternative to the rocky relationships that have existed thus far ... Allowing them to see what a peaceful transition of democratic power looks like - something our people rarely get to witness ... Let alone what a basketball-playing, daps-giving, cigarette-smoking, inspiring-speech-delivering, community-organizing, smooth-operating, new American leader with a Swahili/Arabic name looks like!
My immediate fam is in Dubai right now, and the feelings Abu-7meid expressed are undoubtedly what I would be feeling were I with them ...
But alas, I was not ... I was here in Los Angeles with my better-half's family & a few close friends ... A mosaic of Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Black, White, Brown, & Beige Americana ... so these words meant that much more to us:
"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace."
I spent my formative years, 18 - 26, living under President George W. Bush ... His aggressive & unethical foreign policy, neglect of one of our nation's most historic cities, and mastery of public speaking was an endless source of inspiration for a young 3arab-American MC ...
But will I miss him?
No ... ( & feel free to insert your own "Heeeeelllllllll" before that )
Will I still have stuff to rap about when he is gone?
Yes ... ( to quote Jason Solomon - "Same Sh*t - Different Saddam" )
Would I throw my shoes at him if we ever crossed paths?
No ... ( do u have any idea how much Wally's cost now people? )
"From the Aegean Sea to Zambia, this year’s most compelling destinations are awash in sublime landscapes, cutting-edge art, gala music festivals, and stylish new resorts."
Beirut is #1 ... rightfully so, with its picturesque Mediterranean coastline, stunning mountain views, historic architecture, & world-class cuisine ... Beirut is arguably the most colorful & vibrant city of Southwest Asia (and just a short drive away from Damascus) ... I have had the pleasure of staying there many times during my travels back to the motherland ... I have dear family members & very close friends who call it home ... I've tasted some of the most delicious food & seen some of this earth's most beautiful faces in between its bullet-ridden walls ...
I've even written, recorded, & performed some of my favorite tracks in B.C. ... Beirut City ... Mini-Viet ... The Root ... To quote Marshall Mathers:
"Oh Yeah, don't think I won't go there ... Go to Beirut & do a show there!"
Washington DC is #2 on the list ... again, rightfully so (bias Omz?) ... it is basically a swamp that was paved over to make room for the capital of the United States of America ... Designed with a French sensibility - it is the District of Columbia ... the Diamond District ... the City of Trees ... Chocolate City ... where homeless people can be seen from the steps of the Capitol Building ... where over-qualified cab drivers pick up uneducated ambassadors ... where Duke Ellington & Marvin Gaye composed some of the finest music of their respective generations ... where I learned how to read, write, rhyme, live, & love ... my stomping grounds ... my home-away-from-home thrice removed ... Washington D.C.
From Ethiopians to El Salvadorians, the DC-Metro Area (which includes the suburbs of Maryland / Northern Virginia) is home to some of the largest immigrant communities in the nation. No matter where you're from, I am sure you will find a solid culinary representative in Washington. One unique example is the landmark restaurant known as Ben's Chili Bowl - located at 1213 U Street, right next to the Lincoln Theater, in the Shaw neighborhood of Northwest D.C. (whaddupBro-Mo!) Founded by Ben & Virginia Ali in 1958, it was frequented by both police & protesters during the 1968 riots. My college friend's father, KwameTure (known at the time as Stokley Carmichael), reached out to a fellow Trinidadian when he asked Ben to keep his restaurant open during those tumultuous times - at which point the Alis obtained the necessary permission from city officials to stay open past curfew. The destruction of businesses and subsequent economic decline of the neighborhood from the mid-70s to mid-80s eventually led Ben's Chili Bowl to reduce its staff to one employee. While it has recovered considerably since then, Ben & Virginia's son Kamalrecalled that difficult chapter in DC history:
"We stayed and had a following, because the Chili Bowl was like the neighborhood barbershop. People would sit here and chat. There was always a family presence and the locals protected us."
A heartwarming statement, especially as one thinks about how Muslims in America were treated post-9|11. Not surprising though, for to fully appreciate Washington D.C., you have to understand America ... and all these beautiful contradictions it embodies ...
Now I'd comment on #3, but I have yet to visit the Galapagos ... I did watch a fantastic special on the Discovery Channel about them though!
Finally, if you care for the 4th - 44th "Best-according-to-the-NY-Times Destinations to visit in 2009", here's the link again ... Just remember, if these were the Travel Olympics, none of them would get a medal ...
As far as this blog is concerned, O.F.F.E.N.D.U.M. stands for “Omar’s Favorite Foods, Events, News, Destinations, & Underground Music” … A digital space where I – a Syrian-American Muslim MC / Architect / Graphic Designer / Beatmaker / Amateur Photographer / Peace Activist / World Traveler / Food Enthusiast / Friend / Son / Grandson / Brother / Uncle / Cousin / & Cultural Critic – can come to display my latest findings, reflect on previous experiences, or inform you of things to come ...
Wein (Where)?
SyrianamericanA … a nation-state-of-mind.
Where everything is connected & everyone is welcome!
Eimta (When)?
This blog was started on my 27th birthday … A nice age to sit back & reflect on what one has accomplished (or would like to achieve). The frequency of my blog posts will depend on a number of variables – workload, internet access, inspiration, motivation, etc. – but I have never been one to rush things …
Leish(Why)?
I hope to tell a story that connects the diverse people & distant places that have influenced me … that have shaped this mental state I call “home”.
Keef (How)?
These blogs will come in the form of my own personal writings, poems, songs, images, videos, & ramblings – as well as linked articles, songs, videos, & sites I may come across.
While I intend for every post to contain a worthy message, I look forward to looking back on them at a later date and drawing from the collective experience … after all my people – it’s the process not the product … 3iiish Peace!
OMAR OFFENDUM is a Hip-Hop Artist hailing from the great Nation-State-of-Mind known as "SyrianamericanA" >
where everything is connected & everyone is welcome ... 3ish PEACE!
