Syrian-American rapper Omar Offendum performed an exclusive concert as part of his visit to Sydney. Born in Saudi Arabia, raised in Washington DC and living in LA, he is one of the most prominent and respected voices of the transnational hip-hop movement. Offendum uses ‘conscious rap’ or ‘political hip-hop’ as a vehicle to inspire young people, challenge authority, expose hypocrisy and injustice, and support positive socio-cultural transformation.
Widely admired as a social justice advocate and intellectual, he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various humanitarian relief organisations, lectured at a number of prestigious academic institutions and contributed to inter-cultural dialogue. In recent years his recordings have addressed the hopes, achievements and tragedies related to the revolutions and uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa.
Whilst in Sydney, Offendum will also spoke at a free public lecture on 28 October.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Arabic Language and Cultures, School of Languages and Cultures, the Religion State and Society Network and the US Studies Centre in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney.
Part of the series "A Continuing Spring: Arab and Australian views on social justice, equal economic development and cultures of freedom" supported by the Commonwealth through the Council for Australian - Arab Relations which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
