Sweden’s Rebstar and the songs of Rosengård
The hip hop artist joins The Stream to perform and discuss the neighborhood he once called home.
Swedish hip hop artist Rebstar is more than just one of Sweden’s leading musical exports. He is a music mogul and much sought after by global heavy hitters such as Drake, Trey Songz and The Weeknd. And, on top of all that, he wants to be known as a human rights advocate, mentor, and entrepreneur.
Born Rebin Shah in Sweden to a Persian mother and Kurdish Father, he grew up in the city of Malmo in the city’s Rosengård neighborhood. “In a sea of blonde hair and blue eyes, Rosengård is Sweden’s black sheep,” Shah said in an interview with BET earlier this year.
Rosengård is often described in unfavourable terms by the Swedish media, and used as a scapegoat by far right parties because of its largely immigrant population – some 86 percent.
In Rebstar’s latest Album “Rosengard”, the rapper pays tribute to his hometown. The song “Emergency” with its conscious-driven call to action “Someone’s screaming murder/No one screams emergency” is the backbone of the album and showcases Rebstar’s desire to be both a musician and an activist.
On this episode of The Stream, we’re joined by Rebstar for an exclusive performance and to find out why he’s chosen to shine a spotlight on his neighbourhood.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Rebstar, @Rebstar
Artist
rebstar.com
Read more:
Rebstar is leading the Rosengård revolution in new “Emergency” single – BET
Malmo, a segregated city- separating fact from fiction – EU Observer