Street Art in Shi’a Islam

Abstract

This thesis connects the emergence and evolution of Hip-Hop and Shi’a Islam, exploring the history and development of the Hip Hop genre, while addressing key cultural and political movements including the Black Arts Movement, the Afro-American diaspora and subcultural identity (urban ethnology), interpreting how these movements correlate with the belief system and art of Shi’a Islam. We explore the cultural dynamics behind these ideologies while examining the similarities of Hip Hop as a form of resistance shared in both the United States and those of the Arab Spring/Green Revolutions of the Middle East. This thesis does not intend to expose or promote any belief systems but rather to address the socio-political factors that have led to the evolution of visual imagery (Street Art) produced within the Shi’a Regions, in particular, highlighting the underground Hip-Hop of Lebanon and Iran.