Shabjdeed vs. Saint Levant: Behind the clash, 2 ways of singing about Palestine

For a few days, the Arabic-language music scene online has found itself with a new subject of discord. Palestinian rapper Shabjdeed released in late July SLV, a diss track against Palestinian singer Saint Levant.The confrontation quickly spilled beyond a mere head-to-head between two. On social media, fans began debating what each artist stands for, the reasons behind their music, and who gets to decide what Palestinian and Arab music should look like.A very concrete factor has fueled the tensions: the two are scheduled to perform in Amman on the same night, Thursday, Aug. 13. Saint Levant is set to appear at The Abdali, while Shabjdeed will perform with Al Nather at White Hall on Airport Road as part of their 3RB Tour. Although the dates coincide, there is no evidence that Saint Levant deliberately chose his date to compete with...