Syrian American hip-hop artist Omar Offendum may be residing in Los Angeles, but he certainly hasn't forgotten about the civil war raging back in the Middle East.
Saudi-born with Syrian roots, Offendum was raised in Washington. But his identity as an Arab immigrant stuck with him, seen through his latest album titled "SyrianamericanA."
"In the beginning of the Arab Spring there was a lot of hope, idealism and euphoria surrounding these revolutions," he said in an interview with Public Radio International. "We were pushing back against the fatalism of our parents' generation."
With the Syrian war also came more of a spotlight on his work, Offendum said, as he began gaining more attention as a Syrian artist. That's when he decided the medium of music could become a pretty powerful tool.
"Apathy is not an option," he told PRI. "I think we have privilege here and I try and recognize that as a sense of responsibility. My focus is just to remind people that beneath all the political posturing and all the conspiracy theories and all the proxy wars that are taking place, there’s very real human suffering."
Offendum said his new album is about the "destiny" of immigrants and those who find themselves surrounded by new environments.
"I came over at a very young age. While I do identify as Syrian, and as Arab, and as all these things — I also very much identify as an American."
You can listen to his full interview with PRI here.
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