Ramallah Underground, from the capital city of the West Bank, was born from “the immediacy of musical experimentation and the need to give voice to a generation of Palestinians and Arabs who face a turbulent and uncertain political landscape.”

More than just a Hip Hop group, this “artists collective” was founded with a commitment to “both the honesty of their work and the need to creatively rejuvenate Arabic culture”. RU fuses many genres, from electronic music to hip-hop, and trip hop to downtempo, always maintaining “a deep sense of their local culture and imposing presence of Palestine in their lives.”

The group has collaborated with artists across the globe, from Lebanon, the UK, Switzerland, Italy, France and the US, and have performed in Ramallah, Bethlehem, Vienna, London, Cairo, Lausanne, Amsterdam and Washington DC.

RU characterizes their lyrics as “an expression of anguish and defiance, ultimately remaining a defiant voice of the colonized against the colonizer.” They remain one of the leading forces in the underground Arab music scene and seek to broaden their international exposure, “to give a voice to Palestinians and Arabs, bringing an alternative voice from the Arab world.”

www.myspace.com/rucollective

This clip from a 2007 concert in Ramallah gives a taste of RU’s lyrical prowess and musical fusion, as Boikutt spits fire alongside funk band Rumplestichkin.

The music video for Stormtrap’s “Nateejeh Bala Shughol/Results without Work” offers a bold artistic portrayal of a generation without opportunity (even if it was shot in Jordan).