DJ, producer and turntabalist Lethal Skillz chats to Time Out Beirut about +961 Underground, politics and unity.

The words tumble from his mouth, as Lethal Skillz starts the next sentence before finishing the last. Sitting at a café in Hamra with him and his wife, it’s clear he is a man with a lot to say. He’s one of Beirut’s veteran DJs and a pioneer of the hip hop scene. He formed +961 Underground – which started as a documentary and evolved into a platform to support local hip hop artists, and he battles to break down the barriers of racism, using music to fight politics.

His new album ‘Karmageddon’ is the perfect representation of this philosophy. He’s worked with around 30 international musicians, from Egypt’s The Arabian Knightz to Sweden’s Hanouneh. Listening to tracks from Skillz’ new album on a pair of his pimped-out headphones, it certainly has a very global feel to it, with rapping in Arabic, English and French. Although ‘Karmageddon’ is predominantly a hip hop album, it glides through reggae, r‘n’b and soul. Skillz’ first album was a fierce assault on politics, born out of the war with Israel, but he says that he’s moved away from the anger and made a record that reaches out to the world.

‘It reflects what we go through, in Palestine or Iraq, or what Arabs go through living abroad,’ he says. ‘My true message behind my music is to change the stereotype of us Arabs. We’re the new generation, we fight politics with our music. We don’t want war – we’re all about unity. It’s just amazing how music can break all barriers, colours, races and sects. We can all just bump to the beat and the rhythm.'

Despite being one of the most successful hip hop producers in the Middle East, Skillz doesn't have an easy ride when it comes to getting his music released. Putting out a record in Lebanon and increasing the exposure of underground music seems an uphill struggle.

Skillz explains: ‘I’ve been on the look out to get my album signed, and there’s not one label in Lebanon that signs hip hop. If I want to go to Virgin and tell them to put it in the store, they can’t. You need to be signed and there’s no label, so we’re stuck in this loop.’

'Along with many others, Lethal Skillz’ childhood was scarred by war. Born in a hospital shelter in the mid 70s, music was his distraction. ‘I used to get my stereo and play music for the kids in the shelter, so we’d all forget what was going on outside.’

He started as a radio DJ at thirteen and has been there since the birth of hip hop in Lebanon. He recalls the days when they were outcasts of the city. ‘We started doing hip hop back in 94. We didn’t have an identity.’ Since those early days when hip hop took root, it’s become one of the strongest underground scenes in Beirut, it’s the beat of protest and the voice of the Arab Spring revolutions.

‘There are so many segments within Arabic hip hop now. You have Jihad rap, soulful hip hop, revolutionary hip hop. The whole region is catching up.’

For some, Lethal Skillz’ passion for underground music might sit uncomfortably with his DJ slots at Beirut’s big clubs, but he sees this as a way to expose local music. ‘I have a split personality. I have Phonosapien Monk – the producer, the intellectual – and DJ Lethal Skillz the party rapper.’ Skillz is one of Beirut’s longest- standing vinyl DJs and whether he’s at an underground party or a commercial club, he’s never without his turntables, showcasing what has become a dying culture.

Skillz reveals he’s been asked to remix the score for a big-budget movie that will storm the Middle East and beyond. We can’t reveal the name of the film but can assure you it's an important release for the region. Skillz tells us 'This is, production-wise, the biggest step I’ve done. Hopefully it will open doors.’

Skillz lives and breathes hip hop. For him, it’s become an alternative to the messy politics of the region, and a way to connect to Arabs across the world. Skillz tells us, ‘For me, my dream one day is to go to Jerusalem and perform in Palestine. I’ve been working with the Ramallah Underground since 2001. My dream is to bring them to Lebanon. What we want to show the politicians is that if we cannot unite through politics, look at us as a youth. Through music we’re all on one platform, we have one voice and they hear us. Hip hop is an amazing platform for these guys to really expose what we’re truly going through.’

‘Karmageddon’ To be released after Ramadan

Author: Natalie Shooter