Rap Ambassadors Spread Word in Indonesia

Jakarta Globe, Lisa Siregar | September 23, 2010

The Remarkable Current crew with Indonesian guitarist Wawan, left, and bassist Bato, right. The group invites local musicians to join them on tour wherever they tour. (JG Photo/Jessica Harkins)  

  

Students at the Islamic Uhamka University in South Jakarta got a jolt of pure energy on Wednesday when the hip-hop collective Remarkable Current popped in for a performance. The audience was a bit shy at first, unsure what to make of the spectacle.

But by the time the group was halfway through its set, hesitation had turned to excitement, with the students up on their feet, dancing and cheering in response to the crew’s “Ho-o” call-and-response.

There were even a brave few who —in between fits of nervous giggling — asked the performers where they were from, and what did they think of Indonesia?

The rappers, hailing from Los Angeles, hadn’t taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque — the school was one of the scheduled stops on a nine-day tour of Indonesia that is taking the group to Jakarta, Padang, Medan and Surabaya.

The group’s members — Tyson, Kumasi, Erik Rico and Anas Canon — are all Muslims who aim to inspire with a positive message of beauty, faith and tolerance.

Dubbing themselves “hip-hop ambassadors of the 21st century,” Remarkable Current was invited to tour the country at the behest of the US State Department as part of a performing arts initiative.

Their first show in front of an Indonesian audience was on Tuesday at the residence of US Ambassador Scot Marciel.

The group played a free show at the Hard Rock Cafe on Thursday.

According to the group’s biography, “The importance and relevance of such touring is obvious in today’s world. As the United States embarks on ‘A New Beginning’ in international relations, especially in Muslim-majority countries, having Muslim-Americans as ‘hip-hop ambassadors’ to help aid this process is invaluable; especially ones who speak the ‘language’ of youth music.”

The group’s goals, as stated on its Web site, are to transcend national and racial boundaries, help create the Muslim-American identity and, of course, entertain.

Following Wednesday’s show, the rappers reflected on their tour so far and shed some light on the reality of Islamic hip-hop.

“I practice Islam as my faith,” Tyson said.

“In the Book, Allah tells us to get to know mankind. When you do that you see people as human beings, so you get to know them on a deeper level. When it comes to art and when it comes to music, its one of the purest things that you can put in front of somebody and feel what you’re trying to say in their soul and in their heart.”

The group’s mission was to recognize the “diversity and beauty of all of us.”

The group was founded in 2001 by Canon, a producer who has worked with industry heavyweights such as Mos Def, The Black Eyed Peas and Jurassic 5.

His inspiration, he said, was battling the stereotypes and prejudice he was exposed to as a child and that still exist today.

“When I was growing up in the ’80s as an American kid, I was taught to hate Russians because there was a war going on,” Canon said.

Remarkable Current is his way to protest such attitudes, while at the same time serving as a form of expression for Muslim musicians in America.

While US rap has a reputation for glorifying violence, misogyny and greed, there are many acts that Canon says espouse a positive message.

He said that while legendary MCs such as Grandmaster Flash and KRS-One may not be openly Muslim, they still rapped about Allah and other spiritual matters.

That religious awareness was present in Remarkable Current’s material, Canon said, but it was not the whole picture.

“We don’t believe in trying to make politics in this spiritual affair — something very private, very beautiful. I’m just happy when I hear somebody making a rap song about something besides cars and money,” he said.

As African-Americans, hip-hop was the natural choice for the group to voice their opinions, Canon said, adding that the genre was a progression of black-pioneered American music such as blues and jazz.

He said the band was often questioned about balancing their musical creativity with their Muslim identity.

Some of Remarkable Current’s songs deal with such earthy subjects as intimate relationships, which many listeners may find un-Islamic.

But Canon said the group’s religious identity, intertwined in their daily lives, was reflected in their music.

“There’s no ‘what’s Islamic and what’s not.’ That’s not how we work as artists. We just express ourselves and that naturally comes out.”

They are concerned, however, with the often negative portrayal around the world of African-Americans, something they seek to counter through their music.

“Our bigger concerns are people who claim to represent black Americans, who represent African-American culture, and they use misogyny, they use criminal activity, they use foul language to do it. That’s our bigger concern because that’s universal and affects us all,” Canon said.

“As hip-hop ambassadors, it’s not just that we say these beautiful things, we are really trying to embody them in our everyday lives,” Tyson said.

The members of Remarkable Current said they were inspired by the local artists they meet in foreign countries. Canon said he liked to work with local musicians, and this tour is no different.

The group is being accompanied by Indonesian bassist Bato and guitarist Wawan.

Canon also said the group liked to mix the local vibes they came across into their music, and was excited about the prospect of visiting the three distinct cultures of Padang, Medan and Surabaya.

Remarkable Currents will likely bring home more influences than they expect. Rico said the situation felt similar to their tour of Morocco in 2005, where the group felt a “spiritual grounding” as soon as they touched down.

During their visit to Uhamka’s campus, the group was inspired by a performance by students of Aceh’s traditional saman dance.

“Trust me, you will probably hear that influence in the next couple of releases,” Rico said.