How the Arab Uncle Rap Battle Built Culture

Zajal has had a resurgence in popularity, as videos of these Arab uncle rap battles hit viral status. But zajal and its influence are nothing new. Originating from 12th century Lebanon, these poetic duels have long shaped cultural expression across the Middle East.

The Rahbani Brothers, best known for their plays and close collaboration with Fairuz, drew heavily from zajal. Works like Jibal al-Sawan (1969), Ya'ish Ya'ish (1970), and Loulou (1974) centre on conflict, often between villagers, using zajal-like exchanges as poetic dialogue within these confrontations. As a traditionally male-dominated form, musical theatre allowed for a level of artistic licence, placing women at the centre of these narratives. Performers like Salwa Al Katrib, known for plays such as Al Amira Zmurrod and Bint El Jabal, carried that same energy, sharp, expressive, and rooted in verbal exchange.

The aesthetics of zajal continue to permeate contemporary pop culture. Traditionally performed either seated around a table or in the middle of a crowd in village squares, zajal collapses the boundary between performer and audience. Saint Levant taps into this in his Deira Live performance and the video for DALOONA, placing himself within a collective moment rather than above it.

Its influence on music today feels less like imitation and more like retranslation. Across SoundCloud and beyond, artists layer old-school zajal cadences over modern rap production, sampling figures like Dr. Dre while echoing a much older structure of rhythm, ego, and response. What's gone viral isn't just nostalgia, it's the format itself. The duel, the crowd, the performance of wit. Zajal never disappeared; it just found a new stage.

Words by @smizzowrites