Rhythms and Rhymes of Life. Music and Identification processes of Dutch-Moroccan youth

Abstract

Rhythms and Rhymes of Life: Music and Identification Processes of Dutch-Moroccan Youth is a comprehensive anthropological study of the social significance of music among Dutch-Moroccan youth. In the Netherlands, a Dutch-Moroccan music scene has emerged, including events and websites. Dutch-Moroccan youth are often pioneers in the Dutch hip-hop scene, using music as a tool to identify with or distance themselves from others. They (re)present and position themselves in society through music and musical activities. The chapters deal with the development of the Dutch-Moroccan music scene, the construction of Dutch-Moroccan identity, the impact of Islam on female artists and the way Dutch-Moroccan rappers react to stereotypes about Moroccans. All along, Dutch society, its struggles with multiculturalism and its debates on integration, the position of Islam and fear of terrorism, form the backdrop to this story.