Rolling Stone MENA - Music, Film, TV and Political News Coverage

Exclusive

Watermelon Pictures Wants To Be The Future Of Palestinian Representation In Hollywood

From “The Voice of Hind Rajab” to “The Encampments”, co-founders Hamza and Badie Ali are just getting started.

By Sumayya Tobah

Exclusive

How Breakdancing Has Provided A Sanctuary For Children In Gaza

Breakdancing as trauma-informed dance has endured as artistic resistance from the Bronx to Gaza.

By Mariam Bagdady

(Sub)Culture

For Many Lebanese, Music Colors Their Nostalgic National Memory

In times of national pride and turmoil, the Lebanese people have turned to the country’s artists and music to shape their national memory.

By Farrah Berrou

MUSIC

“We Would Never Want To Make Music Anywhere Else”: Alt Band Postcards On Beirut And Building Community

The longest-running alternative band currently playing in Lebanon talks about their shift in sonic exploration on their latest project.

By Lylla Younes

Cover Story

40 Over 40: OVO’s Noah “40” Shebib On Lebanon, Grief, Palestine, And Collective Liberation

The genre-defining musician in conversation with multimedia artist Yassin “NARCY” Alsalman on rest, responsibility, and return.

By Yassin "NARCY" Alsalman

(Sub)Culture

For Iraqis, The Rise Of “Shaabi” Music On TikTok Drives Diasporic And Generational Divides

By Dalia Al-Dujaili

Cover Story

How Small X Became Morocco’s Most Intentional Voice in Hip-Hop

By Menna Shanab

MUSIC

Firas Abou Fakher on Music, Film, and Life After Mashrou’ Leila

The musician talks winning a BAFTA and composing film scores.

By Jubran Haddad

MUSIC

ABIR Is Not Playing Anymore

With a new album—and a new baby—the Moroccan-American artist is stepping into a whole new chapter.

By Sumayya Tobah

MUSIC

Welcome To BADER’s Ugly Music Movement

The Belgian-based, Syrian-Libyan artist Bader Shashit is making deliberately imperfect music, building studios in the hood, and a new scene from the outside in.

By Mohammad Abunuwar

(Sub)Culture Features

How Firas El Hallak Transforms Lebanon’s Abandoned Architecture Into Instrument And Archive

The artist talks about creating The Dome Sessions and bringing musicians together to explore performances and archive national memory.

By Lama Al-Arian

MUSIC

In Paris, Oum Kalthoum And Fairuz Marked The City’s History And Its Historic Venue L’Olympia

These two concerts, held in 1967 and 1979 respectively, are still considered historical moments in the artists’ careers.

By Donia Ismail

POLITICS

Sinéad O’Connor and the Weaponization of Hunger: What if she Sang for Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan?

If Sinéad O’Connor were around today, watching the children of Gaza, Yemen, and Sudan starve, her outrage would be incandescent.…

By Dr. Felicity Gerry

Commentary

The War In Sudan Is Not “Forgotten.” It Is Actively Ignored.

There is nothing complicated about speaking up against the violent brutality faced by the Sudanese people.

By Bayadir Mohamed-Osman

Commentary

One Day, Not Everyone Will Be Against This

Gaza will bury the idea that we all eventually come to be against the great Evils of our time.

By Sana Saeed

Commentary

Arabic Music’s Rise In Global Popularity Must Come With A Rise In Cultural Preservation And Activism

As we enter a “MENAssance” with our music, so too should we use our platforms to challenge stereotypes and harmful tropes about Arab communities.

By Stevie Youssef

POLITICS

How Every Pregnancy Is Revolutionizing Maternal Health Care In The Middle East And North Africa

The coalition’s latest project in Syria is an effort to mobilize support for Syria’s forgotten moms and babies.

By Sumayya Tobah

Commentary

The U.S. Military Industrial Complex Has Weaponized Hollywood. Arab Filmmakers Must Fight Back.

Stories of U.S. military strength have infiltrated entertainment.

By Ralph Arida

TV & MOVIES

Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina Created History for Algerian Film in 1975. Fifty Years Later, His Legacy Still Resonates.

Fifty years after winning the prestigious Palme d’Or for his film ‘Chronicle of the Years of Fire’, Mohamed Lakhdar Hamina continues to be the gold standard for Algerian filmmakers.

By Donia Ismail

TV & MOVIES

Is The New ‘Superman’ Movie About Palestine?

Audiences have pointed out some subtle and not-so-subtle allusions between the Man of Steel film and what’s actually happening in Gaza.

By Tamara Turki

TV & MOVIES

“All That’s Left Is Truth”: Cherien Dabis on Her Most Urgent Film Yet

The Palestinian filmmaker and actress talks about her latest project and what it means to tell the truth about Palestine.

By Alya Mooro

TV & MOVIES

Charles Burt Brings Mythic Phoenician to Life With Lebanese Business Partner Omar Parker

Long-time filmmakers and content creator duo Charles Canning Burt, producer, and Omar Parker, director, are at it again with an…

By Tom White

sports

MENA Athletes Share The Meaningful Music In Their Lives

Imane Khelif, Abdelrahman Elaraby, and Fadi Eldeeb share what they listen to before a huge competition, what reminds them of home, and a song tied to a turning point in their lives.

By Sophia Shalabi

(Sub)Culture

Meet Kème, The Indie Production House Bringing MENA’s Biggest Stars to the North American Stage

Kème Production is bridging the gap between Middle Eastern talent and their fans abroad, in turn helping to broaden the genre’s reach.

By Diba Mohtasham

(Sub)Culture

How Football And Music Come Together In Times Of Turmoil

During times of turmoil and crisis in the Middle East and North Africa, football and music come together for the people.

By Tariq Manshi

FEATURES

Diaspora Dance Spaces Provide Healing in Times of Grief. For Some, They Also Raise Questions.

A growing global MENA party scene has become a vital space for some diaspora to find community and solidarity, even as it draws scrutiny over its political role.

By Diba Mohtasham

(Sub)Culture

Maktaba is the Canadian Oasis for Arab Culture, Community, and Imagination

Sundus Abdul Hadi and Yassin Alsalman, the founders of the independent bookstore in Montreal, seek to preserve literature, music, and community.

By Sumayya Tobah and Nadia Kanji

Fitness

Sound, Sweat, and Strategy: The Culture Collision Fueling the Future of Wellness

There’s a new rhythm pulsing through the world of wellness—one where athletes and musicians move in sync, powered by innovation,…

By Chris Gallagher

Middle East

Tax Haven? More like Tech Haven

“I want Dubai to be a place where everybody from all over the world meets each other.” Sheikh Mohammed bin…

By Anthony Burr

TECH

Serial Entrepreneur Lakshay Jain Announces Mascan’s Expansion into African Media Market

In a world defined by rapid technological disruption, artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of nearly every industry, from healthcare…

By Ethan Stone

(Sub)Culture

Bitcoin as a Catalyst for Women’s Financial Literacy in the Middle East

Cryptocurrencies have become tools for financial inclusion and literacy. Bitcoin has become an unexpected ally in women’s financial empowerment in…

By Craig Lebrau

TECH

g.tec’s Dr. Christoph Guger to Discuss Future of Neurotechnology at World’s Largest BCI Event

g.tec medical engineering, a global leader in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, is set to host the world’s largest BCI &…

By Ethan Stone

Lifestyle

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