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NAM Round Table
The NAM Round Table consists of news, insights, visions, ramblings and rants from the writers at New America Media.
[ filed under: music middle-east ] There’s really no way to prepare you for this song. Just sit back and let your brain explode. Yes, that is Busta Rhymes rapping over a hook in Arabic. And, yes, “Arab Money” is pronounced “Ay-Rab Money”. The concept seems to be that he admires the amount of money that some visible Arabs flaunt: the house of Saud, big ballers in Dubai, etc. His admiration of the opulence of some Arab wealth leads him to want to emulate their style, too. He says, “I dont need to get fresh, I’m bout to grow a beard dude”. In all honestly, the beat knocks and the dance will probably catch on. The verses are strong, too, but if you think about it for a moment, some things don’t quite fit. For one, the catchy Arabic chorus, indecipherable to most rap fans reads “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, Alhumdulillahi Rabil A’lameen,” and actually means “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The beneficial, the merciful.” That’s fine until you consider Busta is saying things like, “sick big dick, knockin cameltoe bitches.” Laugh or cry, it’s culturally notable. At a live performance, Busta taught the dance to the crowd and prefaced it by saying “this the dance we gonna do on November 4”, alluding to election day. Is he implying we’re all gonna have Arab money with Obama in the White House? Who knows. Like I said, just let your brain explode. Shortly after 9/11, when most Americans were first learning about Islamic fundamentalism, Time magazine ran a cover story that read “why they hate us”. It took a while, but seven years later, Busta came up with an answer. comments |
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this sounds like bay s—t. busta comes all the way back with this one. i want ay rab money…video is hillarious!
By ohboy · Posted on Dec 2, 11:44 PMI dug up the video online here after I heard the song blasting in an internet cafe in Damascus among quiet snickers. (And with You Tube banned in Syria, it really took some digging). The most hilarious part is that the “hook” in Arabic(la-la-illaha-lilli-hi-lo) is actually gibberish.
By Shane Bauer · Posted on Dec 3, 09:07 AMActually, a correction. The song that was blasting in the internet cafe was a great remix response by Narcicyst, an Arab rapper. The chorus goes “it’s not Ay-rab money, it’s called Arab money.”
Gotta hear it: http://blogs.newamericamedia.org/nam-round-table/1493/we-gettin-ay-rab-money
By Shane Bauer · Posted on Dec 3, 09:30 AMJust one of many ignorant things that have come from Busta over the years.
By Stephanie · Posted on Dec 3, 01:17 PMSlight error there. “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, Alhumdulillahi Rabil A’lameen,” and actually means “Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds, the beneficial, the merciful.” Allah is Arabic for the English word God.
By Anthony · Posted on Dec 4, 11:34 AMA great article on the reaction to Busta Rhymes’ Remix of Arab Money:
http://www.insidedesi.com/music/busta-arab-money-muslims/
By stats101 · Posted on Dec 4, 01:30 PMWhy not. The world is controlled by money specially now a days. If one wants money why not Arabian money. Good for him.
By nima · Posted on Dec 6, 12:41 PMCan the writer provide the source of this:
For one, the catchy Arabic chorus, indecipherable to most rap fans reads “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim, Alhumdulillahi Rabil A’lameen,” and actually means “Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, The beneficial, the merciful.”
It certainly does not sound like that…more like gibberish meant to come across as Arabic…But that’s just to my ears…
By Rashid Rashid · Posted on Dec 6, 03:31 PMthe remix is the one that has “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim,
Alhumdulillahi Rabil A’lameen”
the original is arabic gibberish….
i dont see the problem in this honestly…its all chill….jus enjoy life!
By Cash · Posted on Dec 18, 04:24 PM