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Hagage "AJ" Masaed
Born: Youngstown, OH
aj_arabiangold@hotmail.com
http://www.zebox.com/hagage
Occasionally in music an artist hits the scene, and brings a fresh approach to a genre that makes you wonder why no one else thought of it first.
The music: Arabian hip hop with a touch of funk, and a splash of Reggae.
The message: to help educate, and to heal ignorance and stop hatred.
The man: AJ, the first rapper to combine Arabic music and language with Rap.
AJs sound has evolved from the blending of the elements that have shaped his life. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio to Yemeni immigrant parents, and grew up listening to George Clinton, Heatwave, Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, ConFunkShun, Cameo, Herbie Hancock, Sugar Hill Gang, 2Pac, Ice Cube, Public Enemy, KRS1, and Arab artists Abu Bakr Salem, Sameera Towfiq, and Eyoob Tarish. During high school he would spend his summers in Dearborn, Michigan, which is said to be the center of the 2nd largest Arabic community outside of the Middle East. It was the summers in Dearborn that infused AJ with a deeper awareness of Arabic culture, music, and his Muslim religion.
With such a rich and diverse group of musical influences to draw upon, AJ is the master alchemist, blending them all to make pure Arabian Gold. The synthesis of East and West can be clearly heard in the music, and seen in his shows. The live shows are entertaining, dynamic, and energetic and have included belly dancers, breakdancers, and Arabic folk dancers.
AJ lives and works in Oakland, CA , where hip hop is as much a part of daily life as the fog that blows in from San Francisco every evening. He continues to write, perform , and record.
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