Episode 8: Sharaf. Part 2 of 2. This is the Director's Cut <3

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. In this podcast, I travel to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene.

This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

THANK YOU

Big thanks to everyone who appeared in this episode and provided music!

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app at safehousepod.com/listen/playlists.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. REVIEW. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. SUBSCRIBE. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.

1. SHARE. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen to listen from the browser or favorite podcast platform. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.

1. JOIN MY STREET TEAM. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at safehousepod.com/street-team

Episode 7: Sharaf. This is the season finale my loves!

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene.

This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

Enjoy this teaser for part 2 of the season finale!

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app at safehousepod.com/listen/playlists.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. Review. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. Subscribe. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
3. Share. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen and they can start listening from the browser or choose which podcast platform to listen from. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.
4. Give feedback. Drop your thoughts in the comments section or DM me on Instagram or Threads at @safehouse.pod with your feedback on the podcast-- I read all of it and implement many of your suggestions!
5. Join the Street Team. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at safehousepod.com/street-team

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a global exploration of hip hop through intimate conversations with local artists in their safe houses. Every season I immerse myself in a new place. This is season one: Three Nights in Beirut.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you can also WATCH it with the full visualizer on my YouTube Channel. I highly recommend watching this one so you can see footage borrowed (with permission) from two definitive documentaries about the Lebanese hip hop scene.

E3 playlist. Check out the song that framed this episode, Ktir Style by Jamul, as well as a round up of every Lebanese rapper I could find on Spotify from 1990-now. Its 3+ hours of music spanning 3 decades!

1. El Arena for footage of the first Arabic rap battle to ever be broadcasted from the Middle East
2. DJ Lethal Skillz for his support and permission to use footage from his documentary
3. MC Royal S aka Salim Saab for his guidance and permission to use footage from his documentary
4. Assasi for footage from Hip Hop Essentials 101 at Radio Beirut
5. 2Famous.TV for footage from Hip Hop Essentials 101
6. Aladin for a conversation that still echoes in my mind
7. Ziggy for permission to use his reel
8. Jamul for being Jamul

Lebanese hip hop

1. Documentary: 961 Underground: The Rise of Lebanese Hip Hop (2012)by DJ Lethal Skillz: The definitive documentary about the rise of Lebanese hip hop culture by the spin master himself, DJ Lethal Skillz.
2. Documentary | El Arena: the award winning documentary by Soul House Media is a must watch
3. El Arena YouTube channel: watch rappers from across the MENA region converge on Beirut and go head to head. Pro-tip: if you know Arabic, watch Kalach vs. Al Darwish for some heavy duty social commentary about the tension between Syrian refugees and Lebanese citizens.

Protest movement and civil strife

1. Video: One week of protests in Lebanon
2. Article: Lebanon protests explained
3. Article: Lebanon's ordeal: from civil strife to economic collapse

Lebanese Economic Crisis

1. Video: Inside an Armed Bank Raid in Lebanon
2. Article: Lebanon's financial crisis and how it happened
3. Article: Collapse: Inside Lebanon’s Worst Economic Meltdown in More Than a Century
4. Article: Lebanon’s currency value plunges to 100,000 against US dollar

Beirut Port Explosion

1. Report: They Killed Us from the Inside: An Investigation into the August 4 Beirut Blast

Lebanese Civil War:

1. Mudawant Podcast (Arabic)
2. The War on Lebanon Documentary Miniseries

Rate + review

Subscribe

Join the Safe House Street Team

For more: safehousepod.com

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house."

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you can also WATCH it with the full visualizer on my YouTube Channel. I highly recommend watching this one so you can see the footage of Saleh and I zipping through the narrow corridors of Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp.

E2 playlist. Check out music by Palestinian-Lebanese rappers featured in and inspired by this episode. A lot of great music from MENA features titles written in Arabic, so it can be hard to access. But I have done the work for you in this playlist. Any recs for this playlist for songs to add? DM me!

1. Osloob Abdelrahman for permission to use that chilling track "حيد عن الجيش" (Jeed 'an Al-Jeysh). The minute I clicked on this song and heard it the first time I knew that it was going to set the whole tone for the episode, which it did. I'm so grateful for this hidden gem from 2016.
2. "Moustafa." I hope he lets me record a conversation one of these days, or at least some of him reciting his poetry.
3. Saleh and Rawiya for treating me and Medina like nothing less than family during our three nights in Beirut.

Palestinian hip hop

1. Music Video: Katibe 5 "بين حينا وحيك" (Baya Hayna wa Hayyak). Take a walk through Burj al-Barajneh, Sabra, and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps in Beirut in this music video.
2. Article: Palestinians In Lebanon Find A Political Tool In Hip-Hop
3. Article: Refugee rappers voice disgust at Lebanon camps
4. Article: "We Ain't Missing": Palestinian Hip Hop—A Transnational Youth Movement

Burj al-Barajneh Refugee camp

1. Video: For the love of art. Check out this video that features Saleh as a teenager at the program I referenced in the episode that taught kids how to rap.
2. Video: Seven days inside a Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon
3. Video: A walking tour of Burj al-Barajneh Refugee camp
4. Video: Remembering the Nakba from Burj Barajneh refugee camp
5. Episode: PBS RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY: Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon
6. Website: Burj al-Barajneh UNRWA archive
7. Article: On the brink of cannibalism (1987)

Lebanese Civil War:

1. Mudawant Podcast (Arabic)
2. The War on Lebanon Documentary Miniseries

Rate + review

Subscribe

Join the Safe House Street Team

For more: safehousepod.com

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you can also WATCH it with the full visualizer on my YouTube Channel.

E1 Playlist: Check out the music you heard on this episode plus Serenay’s picks for Turkish rap and more from Chyno With a Why?

1. Alperen Kul
2. Serena Akcicek. Check out her amazing work on her IG!
3. X ATOLYE Tattoo & Art Gallery It’s worth a stop here if you ever visit Istanbul to see the art on display and grab a coffee from their shop on the ground floor of the multi-level space. The rooftop with give you some of the best sights and sounds of the Karakoy neighborhood.
4. And shout out to Chyno with a Why? For his support for this episode. I couldn’t think of a better song than High in Cairo feat The Synaptik to articulate my inner thoughts on that boat, and I thank Chyno for his blessing in using it.

Lebanese Civil War:

- Mudawant Podcast (Arabic)

- The War on Lebanon Documentary Miniseries

Turkish hip hop

- “Love, Deutschmarks and Death” (documentary about the rise of Turkish rap)

- "Ezhel: How to Rap the Turkish Reality"

- "A Rap Renaissance is Booming in Istanbul’s Shanty Towns"

Rate + review

Subscribe

Join the Safe House Street Team

For more: safehousepod.com

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you can catch the episodes with visualizers.

The song featured in this episode is called Mar Mkhael by the 21-year old Lebanese rapper, Nuj from his EP titled عاصفة الأفكار ('Aasifat al-Afkaar) and was produced by Nagib Saab. Every episode of The Safe House has a playlist for your listening pleasure <3. To listen to it and more Lebanese rap from across the decades, check out the official playlist.

Rate + review

Subscribe

Join the Safe House Street Team

For more: safehousepod.com

Episode 7: Sharaf. This is the season finale my loves!

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene.

This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

THANK YOU

Big thanks to everyone who appeared in this episode and provided music!

1. The "interior designer"
2. Blu Fiefer
3. Beatlalipos
4. Saleh
5. Nuj

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app at safehousepod.com/listen/playlists.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. Review. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. Subscribe. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
3. Share. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen and they can start listening from the browser or choose which podcast platform to listen from. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.
4. Give feedback. Drop your thoughts in the comments section or DM me on Instagram or Threads at @safehouse.pod with your feedback on the podcast-- I read all of it and implement many of your suggestions!
5. Join the Street Team. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at safehousepod.com/street-team

Teaser #2 of Episode 7: Sharaf. This is the season finale my loves!

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene.

This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app at safehousepod.com/listen/playlists.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. Review. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. Subscribe. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
3. Share. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen and they can start listening from the browser or choose which podcast platform to listen from. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.
4. Give feedback. Drop your thoughts in the comments section or DM me on Instagram or Threads at @safehouse.pod with your feedback on the podcast-- I read all of it and implement many of your suggestions!
5. Join the Street Team. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at safehousepod.com/street-team

Hello hello this is Soha, the producer and host of the Safe House Travel Diary.

First of all I want to thank you for being with me during this journey! One thing I love about releasing episodes on a weekly basis is that I get real time feedback from you all. You tell me what you found interesting or if something struck an emotional chord. Saleh’s seems to be beloved by many, although someone told me once that Medina is the star of this season. Many of your comments ended with,” I just wish the episodes were longer.” Which brings us to my update.

I’m just jumping on here real quick to let you know that Episode 7: Sharaf, is coming. In episode 7 you’ll from the legendary Beatlalipos as well as a newcomer whose freestyles on social media had the whole scene buzzing in anticipation for his album, Nuj. Make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts and follow The Safe House Travel Diary on instagram at safehouse.pod so you don’t miss that drop. And there’s not a better time than now to rate the safe house travel diary on Apple podcasts and Spotify if you haven’t already. I will leave you a song from Nuj and an excerpt of Episode 7: Sharaf.

ABOUT

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app at safehousepod.com/listen/playlists.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. Review. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. Subscribe. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
3. Share. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen and they can start listening from the browser or choose which podcast platform to listen from. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.
4. Give feedback. Drop your thoughts in the comments section or DM me on Instagram or Threads at @safehouse.pod with your feedback on the podcast-- I read all of it and implement many of your suggestions!
5. Join the Street Team. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at safehousepod.com/street-team

Episode 6 takes place on my last day in Lebanon as Saleh and I zip around Beirut to the Sabra and Shatila Refugee Camp, the Dahieh neighborhood, and the heart of the city, Martyrs' Square.

ABOUT

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

WATCH

If you enjoyed listening episodes, check out the episode visualizers on my YouTube Channel.

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app at safehousepod.com/listen/playlists.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

THANK YOU

1. Bilal Ghalib
2. Teta
3. Diego
4. Blu Fiefer, Beatlalipos, and Nuj for permission to use their music in this episode.
5. My listeners. As a thank you I would love to send you some Safe House stickers at no cost to you. Simply fill out the form here.
6. Saleh, for everything

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. Review. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. Subscribe. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
3. Share. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen and they can start listening from the browser or choose which podcast platform to listen from. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.
4. Give feedback. Drop your thoughts in the comments section or DM me on Instagram or Threads at @safehouse.pod with your feedback on the podcast-- I read all of it and implement many of your suggestions!
5. Join the Street Team. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at safehousepod.com/street-team

Here's a little update from your creator and host, Soha, as well as some bonus content that didn't make it into the podcast!

ABOUT

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is Soha. I go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

WATCH

If you enjoyed listening episodes, check out the episode visualizers on my YouTube Channel.

SOUNDTRACKS

To hear the music from this season, check out the individual sounds tracks for each episode safehousepod.com/listen/playlists. You can listen directly from your browser if you don't have the Spotify app.

LEARN MORE

Check out the comprehensive list of resources about Lebanese civil war, refugee crisis, financial collapse and the music that came from all of that at safehousepod.com/listen/show-notes

THANK YOU

1. My listeners. As a thank you I would love to send you some Safe House stickers at no cost to you. Simply fill out the form here.
2. Chyno with a Why? for squeezing in an interview with little old me on a very busy day!
3. Saleh, my sidekick and driver

SUPPORT

The best way to support my independent story telling is to:

1. Review. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
2. Subscribe. This helps me demonstrate my audience size. Be sure to hit the subscribe button on my YouTube channel and/or wherever you listen.
3. Share. Send your friends to safehousepod.com/listen and they can start listening from the browser or choose which podcast platform to listen from. Whether they love music, travel, adventure, or can simply relate to some of the themes brought up in the podcast, let them know this podcast is for them.
4. Give feedback. Drop your thoughts in the comments section or DM me on Instagram or Threads at @safehouse.pod with your feedback on the podcast-- I read all of it and implement many of your suggestions!
5. Join the Street Team. Wanna light your city up with Safe House stickers or flyers? You can request a stack of stickers, and I have flyers and posters too! Simply fill out the form at

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is SohaI go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house."

DIRECTORS CUT

I released "Soha's version," a RAW version of this episode with no intro/outro/or opening theme. You can check it out here.

WATCH

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, look out for the visualizer coming soon on my YouTube Channel.

E5 Soundtrack. To hear the music from this episode and more music exploring the topics discussed in this episode, check out the soundtrack on Spotify.

Saleh & Roro

@chynowithawhy

@ghoraba2official

@el_bunasser

@ghassanrahbani

@soapkillsofficial

LEARN MORE

Hip hop tings

1. Article: How protest and resistance in Syria and Lebanon shaped a progressive rap scene
2. Article: Straight Outta Syria: Meet the young refugee rappers with a message
3. Documentary: 961 Underground: The Rise of Lebanese Hip Hop (2012)by DJ Lethal Skillz: The definitive documentary about the rise of Lebanese hip hop culture by the spin master himself, DJ Lethal Skillz.
4. Documentary | El Arena: the award winning documentary by Soul House Media is a must watch
5. El Arena YouTube channel: watch rappers from across the MENA region converge on Beirut and go head to head. Pro-tip: if you know Arabic, watch Kalach vs. Al Darwish for some heavy duty social commentary about the tension between Syrian refugees and Lebanese citizens.

The aftermath of the Beirut Port Explosion

1. Video: "Walking in Mar Mikhael one Week After Beirut’s Blast"
2. Video: Beirut Residents Help Clean Up Debris From Explosion
3. Article: "With brooms and shovels, Lebanese volunteers show the true spirit of Beirut"
4. Article: After the blast: how Beirut’s clean-up operation is exposing Lebanon’s wider state dysfunction
5. Article: After Beirut explosion, Lebanese volunteers flock to help clean up

Siege on Naher al-Bared Refugee Camp

1. Video: Nahr al-Bared Camp: Two Years Under Siege
2. Article: Tense siege continues at Lebanon’s Nahr al-Bared refugee camp
3. Article: Nahr al-Bared shelling intensifies
4. Article: THE SEIGE OF NAHR AL-BARED AND THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON
5. Article: Lost and found: when Shatila welcomed Nahr al-Bared

Syrian Civil War

1. Article: Syria's Civil War Started A Decade Ago. Here's Where It Stands
2. Video: Syrians mark 12 years of civil war with no end in sight
3. Podcast: Conflicted: Syria
4. Documentary: Born in Syria
5. Documentary: For Sama
6. Video: The Harrowing Personal Stories of Syrian Refugees, in Their Own Words

Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

1. Article: Syria Refugee Crisis Explained
2. Video: Displaced in Lebanon: Syrian refugees face tougher restrictions
3. Article: Lebanon: Armed Forces Summarily Deporting Syrians
4. Article:

Dear listener: I decided to drop this episode RAW on the eve of the actual release date because I believe it stands alone: no intro or outro, or theme music needed. Just a 20 minute trip to one of the most misunderstood, forgotten, and ignored places in the world: Beirut.

A large part of Episode 5 was written in October 2022. I had just returned from spending three nights in Beirut on September 12. I went to Lebanon for real conversations with hip hop artists in their safe houses, where they live and create. I didn't want to be another voice in a sea of entertainment reporters. When I I came home, all I had were some ideas and dozens of hours of audio.

The day I wrote what became “the Manara monologue” I had started writing bullet points about my driver and sidekick, Saleh, trying to recall everything I could about him. And a monologue several pages long began to flow. Then I recorded myself reading it to friends and collaborators.

They all said the same thing: don't be afraid to include your voice in the story. I appreciated the idea but never wanted to hear myself on this podcast in any substantive way.

In the end I was too tired to fight the idea of letting myself be heard on the podcast. And in April 2023/Ramadan 1443, with my 40th birthday 2 months away I decided the "Manara monologue" would be Episode 1.

My idea was to release a series of mini episodes: raw, distilled, no frills. In other words, a mix tape.

My goal was to drop the Safe House Travel Diary by my 40th birthday, to let the end of my 30s mark the end of living with people pleasing, insecurity, and fear. This meant building the whole communications infrastructure around the podcast, learning the business of podcasting, sharpening my editing skills beyond making family videos on iMovie, and writing the damn scripts while including bite sized pieces of information about the current crisis in Lebanon, recording the voice over, mixing in sound bites from the salvaged audio I recorded in Lebanon, and cutting in Lebanese rap music from specific eras that are thematically or topically linked to what's going on in that episode (with permission from the artists). Lastly, I had to make sure it all made sense. Nonetheless we got here and my 40th bday was a triumph over a lifelong battle of perfectionism coupled with debilitating ADHD.

As I got to work I realized the "Manara monologue" needed a preface. I wrote "Daydream in Istanbul," episode 1. But I realized even with that preface, there was more to establish before getting into the Manara part. And alas, MANARA ended being episode 5.

Even with it coming so late in the season, episode five of seven, this episode represents the heart and soul of my vision for The Safe House Travel Diary: a window into life in Lebanon in September 2022 through conversations with the people living there about hip hop and other things. As you're getting to know these folks: Roro, Saleh, Moustafa, Chyno, Ziggy, and Aladin amongst others, you're getting to know Lebanon. And their stories are learning opportunities that I try to provide the background for in the plainest terms. This episode is also special to me because the "Manara monologue" that centers around is the creative spark that makes The Safe House what it is; according to Kendrick Lamar, a place to "vent all my truths."

I hope you enjoy listening to it!

Peace and love,

Soha

Ps. Music from Episode 5 MANARA is by:

1. Chyno with a Why?
2. Soap Kills
3. Ghoraba2
4. Bu Nasser Touffar
5. Ghassan Rahbeneh

Welcome to The Safe House Travel Diary, a travel and music podcast that explores hip hop in misunderstood places. My name is SohaI go to the safe houses of hip hop artists for intimate conversations and try to get a sense of what life is like in their corner of the world. The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house." Every season I travel to a new country and immerse myself in their hip hop scene. This is Season 1: "Three Nights in Beirut" and it takes place in my Motherland: Lebanon.

The idea for The Safe House comes from Kendrick Lamar's lyric about "venting in the safe house."

WATCH

If you enjoyed listening to this episode, you can also WATCH it with the full visualizer on my YouTube Channel. You'll see my walk in Mar Mkhael, Saleh, Ziggy, and I on the motorcycle, Chyno's soundcheck (shot with permission of course) and more!

E4 Soundtrack. Episode 4, "MAMLUK," features interviews with Chyno and Ziggy. They represent different generations in Lebanese rap but embody the same ethos of authenticity and immersion. I hope you enjoy some of my favorites from their catalogue as well as music produced by Aladin, whose also featured in E4.

1. Chyno with a Why? for agreeing to sit down for an interview on one of the most busy days of his life!
2. Ziggy for bringing his full self to our conversation
3. Aladin for finding the W in this situation
4. Saleh for being the best sidekick a girl could hope for!

LEARN MORE

Hip hop tings

1. Article: How protest and resistance in Syria and Lebanon shaped a progressive rap scene
2. Article: Straight Outta Syria: Meet the young refugee rappers with a message
3. Documentary: 961 Underground: The Rise of Lebanese Hip Hop (2012)by DJ Lethal Skillz: The definitive documentary about the rise of Lebanese hip hop culture by the spin master himself, DJ Lethal Skillz.
4. Documentary | El Arena: the award winning documentary by Soul House Media is a must watch
5. El Arena YouTube channel: watch rappers from across the MENA region converge on Beirut and go head to head. Pro-tip: if you know Arabic, watch Kalach vs. Al Darwish for some heavy duty social commentary about the tension between Syrian refugees and Lebanese citizens.

The aftermath of the Beirut Port Explosion

1. Video: "Walking in Mar Mikhael one Week After Beirut’s Blast"
2. Video: Beirut Residents Help Clean Up Debris From Explosion
3. Article: "With brooms and shovels, Lebanese volunteers show the true spirit of Beirut"
4. Article: After the blast: how Beirut’s clean-up operation is exposing Lebanon’s wider state dysfunction
5. Article: After Beirut explosion, Lebanese volunteers flock to help clean up

Siege on Naher al-Bared Refugee Camp

1. Video: Nahr al-Bared Camp: Two Years Under Siege
2. Article: Tense siege continues at Lebanon’s Nahr al-Bared refugee camp
3. Article: Nahr al-Bared shelling intensifies
4. Article: THE SEIGE OF NAHR AL-BARED AND THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEES IN LEBANON
5. Article: Lost and found: when Shatila welcomed Nahr al-Bared

Syrian Civil War

1. Article: Syria's Civil War Started A Decade Ago. Here's Where It Stands
2. Video: Syrians mark 12 years of civil war with no end in sight
3. Podcast: Conflicted: Syria
4. Documentary: Born in Syria
5. Documentary: For Sama
6. Video: The Harrowing Personal Stories of Syrian Refugees, in Their Own Words

Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

1. Article: Syria Refugee Crisis Explained
2. Video: Displaced in Lebanon: Syrian refugees face tougher restrictions
3. Article: Lebanon: Armed Forces Summarily Deporting Syrians
4. Article: Lebanon’s government is squeezing out Syrian refugees

Protest movement and civil...