Narcy and the questioning of Arabness through music and video.
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I watched Narcy’s “Average Type” and “Makoo” and found them both interesting regarding the question of Arabness, both inside and out. In “Average Type,” the lyrics make up for the lack of a music video in “Makoo.”
In “Average Type,” Narcy says, “You thought that she was just your average type of Arab sister. Submissive, won't listen, you trippin' caught up in the midst of…” This poses the question of what he means by “average type” of Arab brother and sister.” These stereotypes of a submissive woman are contrasted with Meryem Saci, who says, “Remix all your stories and rewind all your facts. Militant, diligent, different, get the dividends.” We must challenge the harmful narrative that the world has given Arab women. She is many things. Meryem’s line is meant to have the listener challenge what the “stories” and “facts” that we have put onto the identity as it is so much more than that. She is proud to be an “Illegal border-crosser, rebel with a sand glow, Got it from my momma.” These are being reclaimed to show how strong and defiant Arab women are. This song is about the outside question of what it means to be an Arab.
“Makoo” poses what Arabness means on the inside. In the opening clip, Narcy is on the phone making plans for his night and embarrassed to bring his cousin, who is visiting from the Motherland and is “a little bit special and different.” It is interesting how the diaspora views the population that stayed as different. Again, it brings up the immigrant child dilemma of being Arab around white people but not Arab enough for the “actual” Arabs. In this, he is embarrassed by how his cousin dresses and acts, as it reflects his homeland, which he is so distant from now. At first, his cousin is met with disapproval from the people around, but by the end, everyone is doing “The Jassem,” essentially “Iraqi Dance Moves.” This also comments on cultural appropriation and how aspects of culture are taken for entertainment. In the end, Jassem, on the phone with his mom, comments how his cousin is “weird and didn’t dance.” This parallels the beginning and shows that these opinions and stereotypes are not one-sided. This validates and liberates the Arab identity from the constraints of the White American experience.