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The Diatribes of a Dying Tribe

Newest project from Narcy: Buy the book here.

"Diatribe of a Dying Tribe is about the jumbled reality of North American life. The destructive components of juxtaposing cultures, the birth of immigrant internationality and the resilient art that comes out of struggle and oppression.

It is the story of four young Arab men who joined forces to create their own representative governing meeting. Excentrik, Ragtop, Omar Offendum & the Narcicyst spent two weeks in California and endless hours on a computer crafting the Fear of an Arab Planet; an examination of the heightened anxiety towards Islam, the Oriental gaze towards the Arab face and the ever-growing paranoia of the ‘other’, all over some bangin’ beats to rock to. As a post-analytical view of the making of an album, this book serves as a document on the burgeoning Arab poetry scene, and how the two mother cultures of a migrant society coalesced through a modern hyper-culture called Hip-Hop. From TSA agents to ABC rappers, The Arab Summit were on a mission to be heard… and that is exactly what happened."

AUDIO: Spring Movements

Spring Movements by mashouf

Track produced by EQ

DOWNLOAD HERE

Spring Movements

Inspired by the uprisings occurring in the cradles of civilization, this film is an ode to movements striving to reclaim their dignity and sovereignty from their keepers.

As the seeds of spring begin to harvest, the earth purges herself of winter.

Credits:
Director/ Producer
Justin Mashouf

Dancers:
Kian Khiaban

Justin Mashouf

Cinematography/ Editor:
Dustin Shepard

Motion Graphics and Illustration:
Ehsaan Mesghali

Music:
EQ- Robert Diaz

This project was produced in an effort to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Middle East and North Africa who are demanding their right to be heard.

Repost from AslanMedia: Warring Factions Review

Dancing on a Tightrope: Justin Mashouf’s Documentary, “Warring Factions”

Kashif Ghazanfar, Aslan Media Music Editor

Despite the fact that my own attempts at “b-boying” (Breakdancing) have proven to be a series of catastrophic gyrations that exist somewhere between a spasm and accidental vulgarity, it is a form of dance and movement that’s always amazed and impressed me. Emerging from the urban streets of America, b-boying is raw and powerful, yet, incredibly artful and athletic in it’s execution. Justin Mashouf is one such example and his documentary, “The Warring Factions” is not only infused with electrifying scenes of him and others b-boying, but it is also an incredibly thoughtful exploration on his identity as a Muslim daring to dance across two cultures and traditions seemingly at odds with one another.

To be sure, this is no ordinary Muslim and no ordinary American. Initially, one is struck by the juxtaposition of his light brown hair and fair complexion with his strong, abiding faith in Islam. Mashouf’s mother is an American and his father is an Iranian. Neither of his parents are religious and, yet, Islam seems to be central focus for Mashouf and his emerging sense of identity. In “Warring Factions,” Mashouf deals with an array of complexities concerning how to define himself amid various competing ideas of faith and culture. Quite often these complexities are not explicitly stated but, rather, understood as one absorbs the film.

Amid the various scenes of b-boying in America and in Iran, Mashouf’s documentary attempts to dispel the stereotypes Muslims and Iranians face amid the current political climate in America, so suffused with vitriol against them. His own experiences as an adolescent in the wake of the 9/11 tragedy serve as a kind of genesis for his story and informs his passionate defense of both Muslims and Iranians.

Clearly, the entertainment highlight of the film is the various scenes of b-boying. The wild athleticism and grace involved in b-boying are framed by the inherent sense of kinship and community the dancers feel for one another. As Mashouf steps into the surrounding circles of his peers to dance, amid the raucous cheers and encouraging shouts of his fellow dancers from a myriad of faiths and ethnic backgrounds, his dancing transforms into an act of faith itself and, at least for moment, he’s freed from the vexing questions of who he ought to be. He becomes, instead, who he is.

The Story of Simorgh and Rostam

hip hop as resistance: #Jan25 Egypt

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