Khat Thaleth (Stronghold Sound)

Rap has long gone international, and the idea of using the shuffling beats and staccato cadences to communicate political ideas and frustrations took hold in the Middle East. Arab-language rap was a factor in the Arab Spring, and the Khat Thaleth compilation is a sample of what's going on. The angry tone translates across language (and the jacket provides a website with translations) and some of the tracks include local influences, including the oud and—in one case—a sample woven from Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia."