Sameh "SAZ" Zakout is a native of Ramle, a predominantly Palestinian Arab city within Israel, reputable for its excessive crime and poverty. Transcending the violence plaguing his people and his city, SAZ chose hip hop as a means to overcome his circumstance, stating, "If I didn't have a music career, I'd probably be in the streets selling drugs and getting shot at." A Muslim descendant of Palestinian Communists who were dispossessed from their village in 1948, SAZ was inspired to write hip hop rhymes by his third grade Arabic teacher. He began performing publicly at the age of 16 and has since become a staple of the Palestinian hip hop scene. SAZ rhymes in Arabic, Hebrew and English and is widely hailed for his beatbox technique. He has been featured in Rolling Stone and on CNN. Sameh uses rap music to deliver a message to his fellow Palestinians, to fight for their right for national identity, to remember their history and to take pride in their Palestinian nationality. His lyrics are very blunt and direct. He is influenced by the success of the African amrican rappers in America that protested about the poverty and misery of their lives in the slums. Sameh identifies with their music and their situation and is inspired by them. Sameh criticizes his Arab neighbors in Ramleh that turn to drugs and violence instead of getting an education and caring for their future. Sameh believes in his music and in his own ability to make a difference and to give hope and pride to Palestinians all over the world. The Palestinians audiences feel that finally somebody is expressing their feelings, is shouting proudly what they have wanted to say for years. Despite his young age a documentary film was made about him and his family, the film was broadcasted in more than 5 countries. Sameh has daily fights regarding his Palestinian identity, therefore his songs deal with political, social and personal issues As well Saz participated in Dam's(the first Palestinian hip hop crew) new Album Dedication that was distributed all around the world and gained a lot of Success.
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