Crikey...in a day and age where American hip hop is all glitz and bling and has lost it's political edge along comes Stronghold Sound to bring us Khat Thaleth to remind us that hip hop has global reach. Straight out of the Middle East, Khat Thaleth is cutting edge political commentary that sees artists picking microphones and beats as their weapon of choice. This is intelligent stuff that's frustrated and angry and leaves no stone unturned in it's rolling dialogue of political commentary. This 23 track compilation covers a wide spectrum of a diverse areas including Palestine, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and current political hotbed's Egypt & Syria.
It's impressive to know that this underground movement has spread so deep and so far that even people in the most dire situations see it as a form of expression. These are artists that have true street credibility and are living a life that most hip hop stars could never dream of. This is music from war zones, from totally destroyed towns, from parts of the world where music like this could result in death. Kind of makes Pitbull's club rap seem insignificant doesn't it?
While the production might not be the best on these tracks the purity and emotional outpourings contained on this disc more than make up for it. This is the sound of struggle and everything that goes along with it and no matter where you are or your political affiliation this is something that should be heard. This is the sound of the victims of political chaos and it's intense to hear their frustration and fear. For a musical form that seems to be stagnating here at home Khat Thaleth has put the honesty and anger back into it and shown that true nature of the form is globally aware and thriving in places you'd never expect it.
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