Libyan officials crack down on rap music

Rap has traditionally mined life’s hardships for artistic inspiration. Libya is no exception. The musical genre, that was officially banned under the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi, emerged from the underground in 2011 with artists using their lyrics to voice dissent. According to Deutsche Welle (DW), one rapper, MC Swat, released a song that became an anthem for the revolution.

Since then, amid ongoing civil war, political instability, and corruption, Libya’s rap scene has thrived. Just last week, rap star KA7LA performed to a sold-out crowd in Derna, a city devastated by floods in 2023. However, this flourishing music movement is now under threat.

Both Libya’s eastern and western governments have recently imposed restrictions on rap music, citing violations of "morality laws." The Eastern administration stated, “The spread of rap songs, some of which contain obscene words, violates the moral values of the Libyan Muslim society.”

Under the new regulations, rap musicians must obtain approval from either the Tripoli-based Culture Ministry or the Benghazi-based Interior Ministry before performing. Songs that reference crime, sex work, suicide, or rebellion against family and society will not be permitted, DW reports. Similar restrictions will also apply to other art forms, including theater, dance, and singing.

Authorities in eastern Libya claim these measures align with the constitution, which limits freedom of expression when it is deemed to violate public morals and religion. However, many fear these restrictions could lead to severe consequences for artists.

MC Swat fled to Italy in 2017 after releasing tracks critical of Khalifa Haftar’s Benghazi-based government. Fearing for his life due to backlash from Haftar’s forces, he remains in exile with no hope of returning home.

Human rights experts and academics see the crackdown as part of a broader trend. 

"The recent ban on rap is no coincidence. Both power centers in the east and west have intensified efforts to suppress personal freedoms and any discourse that could be perceived as a threat to their control,” Virginie Collombier, a professor at Rome's Luiss Guido Carli University, told DW. 

With rap music now in the crosshairs of Libya’s authorities, the country’s artists face an uncertain future.