PSA hosts hip-hop artist Omar Offendum

The Political Student Assembly hosted Syrian hip-hop artist Omar Offendum to present some of his music and spoken word poetry on Monday night at Tommy’s Place. Offendum answered students’ questions about his background and work.

Offendum has released an album SyrianamericanA and has toured the world with his critically acclaimed music about the democratic revolutions in the Middle East and North Africa. He has also helped raise thousands of dollars for humanitarian relief organizations.

The event was co-sponsored by the Performing Arts Committee and USC Students for Justice in Palestine.

Alex Luu, a freshman majoring in art, and Juan Negrete, a sophomore majoring in policy, planning and development, performed spoken word poems before Omar went on stage.

Offendum started the event by explaining that he makes music and tours to promote equality and justice.

“It’s a responsibility to be here, not just because I’m Syrian or Arab or Muslim or American or any of that, but because I’m a human being who believes in equality and justice for all people,” Offendum said. “That’s what drives me and my work and it was really, really great to hear the perspectives that you guys are bringing with your poetry so I really really encourage you guys to keep going expressing yourselves with art and with poetry; it’s a beautiful thing and that’s speaking from experience.”

After his first rap performance, Offendum presented a spoken word poem about his ethnic culture.

“But really though, who am I,” Offendum said. “Just another Middle Eastern man, that’s too good to be true am I … plotting another another coup am I? Belonging in a zoo am I? Hatin’ for lovin’ you am I? Palestinian Jew am I? African of the Northeast. Asian of the Southwest. European they want least. Semitic and I’m proud yes.”

Offendum later said that he wants to show people the beauty of Arabic culture.

“In this country, I think the only opportunity that people are afforded to hear this beautiful language is in a form of an angry dude yelling on TV and I want to break that cycle,” Offendum said.

According to Offendum, hip-hop is the modern way to spread culture ideals and traditions.

“I’d like to think hip-hop stand for ‘highly intellectualized people hovering over politics,’” he said. “We vent out our frustrations, our angers, this world through this music. This is something that is really a modern incarnation of things that have been happening all over the world for thousands of years.”