POSITIVE SCHOOL COMPILATION
[text]: Kapa

HHz: When we speak about "Positive School Compilation" we are speaking about the first Arab rap compilation done until the moment. How did you decide to start with this project?

Wassim: I’ve thought about it long time ago (in 1999 exactly), but at this period I didn’t have enough contacts to start with this project; so I’ve been waiting until the end of the year 2002 when I met Smooth-Soulja ( a member of the group PenPower from Rabat) and we decided to make a collective called ( Positif Mic ) which features the two groups ApocA and PenPower and meanwhile we started working on “positive school compilation” representing the three cities Casablanca, Rabat and Tangiers, each one of us ( me, Smooth-Soulja and LA N) took care of contacts with the groups of his city like “Zenka Flow” from Tangiers and other rappers, from Rabat smooth-soulja contacted some rappers like colonel but most groups of Rabat were not ready and in Casablanca I’ve invited almost the groups here like Thug gang, Mafia C, Muslim squad… and during this period we also looked for groups from other cities like Sidi Kacem, Meknes, Warzazat…etc. So after we got many Mc’s the idea of making a project assembling the different Arab hip hop movements started to be more and more realizable. We also used to have contact with Naili (Algerian) via his website and Tunisia was represented by the rapper “Dragbolti” and the surprise is when we made a research on the net we found out Palestinians rappers been writing for their own reason which it pleased us a lot.

HHz: Twenty groups from four countries collaborate in the compilation. What can you tell us about those groups? How did you select the groups? What do you think about the Arab hip-hop scene these days?

Wassim: In fact, we haven’t made any selection at the begin, the participation was open for everybody but after we got many tracks with many styles we had to eliminate some tracks cuz we wanted that the compilation be a panorama of styles, flows, and subjects… Really all the Mc’s had a rage similar to the one of those old school rappers in the Bronx, Brooklyn when the movement was raw and not influenced with the show-biz world, and it’s the same case nowadays in the Arab hip hop even if there is some negative impacts of the American west cost rap.

HHz: It seems that the distribution of the compilation will be in a limited
edition. You'll sell the compilation in the web or is there any other way to
buy it from Spain?

Wassim: Basically; the compilation ain’t released yet, only some exclusives copies circulating between the participating groups and also the smash hit “Anti-matrix” which is downloadable since few months. The release date is gonna be in the first weeks of the year 2004, under a limited edition, but it would be available on the net in a special website.

HHz: After 10 months of hard work the Cd is on the streets. Do you have any other projects in mind?

Wassim: Yes, the 2nd volume and it would be different from the first one cuz there gonna be collaborations with MC’s living outside Morocco but they rap in Arabic.

HHz: Projects like this emphasize the quality of the work done last years in the arabic world. In spite of that here in Spain, a country near Morocco,(where almost all that groups come from) we dont know the scene in the other side of the strait. What do you think we should do to change that?

Wassim: True, so rare people who know the real value of Moroccan hip hop as well the Arab one, and it’s due to the lack of the media treating the hip hop culture in the Arabic World which can certainly give an image of what happening in the streets of … etc.

HHz: Following the great rising of arab hip-hop in the last two years
HHZPAIN.NET decided to open a section dedicated to Morocco and the arab world. What do you think about this initiative?

Wassim: That’s a real good initiative; it’s the first time that an occidental media consecrate a section for the Moroccan hip hop and I thank HHZPAIN.NET “BIG UP!!!”

HHz: Skull from "real Hip-Hop" described your web as "the bridge between the moroccan groups". What can you tell us about the web and its importance in the scene of Morocco?

Wassim: As I said before, there is a lack of media representing the Moroccan hip hop, therefore there is a bad image that circulates in here, not like some websites which appeared just to make “auto-advertising”, dima-rap.com has been created in 1998 just for a lone mission: “develop the hip hop and try to explain to people what it is about”, so starting with this position the website has become somehow a virtual bridge connecting different crews from Morocco, but now there is not only dima-rap.com, there is also : rap4respect.zik.mu , realhiphop.ma , original-hiphop.com , hiphopdabladi.com and they exist all for the same reason as dima-rap.com, and throughout the forums and chat rooms we give the possibility to people interested in Moroccan hip hop to discuss about the future of Arabic version of the street art.

HHz: If you want to tell something more to the HHZPAIN.NET readers...

Wassim: First of all, I thank HHZPAIN for this interview, and I thank all those who help me to realize this project : Smooth-Soulja, La N, DarkVador, thug gang, Desparado, big boss, Tanja connexion, KifKif, arabrap.net, Naili, Mafia-c, dj suspect, dj key, Skull, Les fossoyeurs, H Kayane, M squad, Hall awaf, Jalil (Radio Midi 1), filo mic arbi, Azad, Fnayar, dragbolti, Drawa, all the community "dima-rap"...
Thanx