By SAFIYA MOHAMED
“I don’t need excuses to be myself. None of us do. My name is Amir Issaa, I am Italian, I am Egyptian, I am not a foreigner in any place in the world.”
These words are at the heart of Amir Issaa’s memoir, This Is What I Live For: An Afro-Italian Hip-Hop Memoir, a groundbreaking work that blends personal narrative with the rhythms of rap. Edited by Clarissa Clò, this bilingual edition is crafted like a concept album, with each “track” building toward a larger, unified story. For anyone interested in the intersection of identity, culture, and social justice, this memoir offers a fresh perspective that is as much about hip-hop as it is about resilience, family, and fighting against systemic oppression.
Raised in the Tor Pignattara neighborhood of Rome by his Egyptian father and Italian mother, Issaa’s upbringing was shaped by his interfaith, interracial background. He reflects on how his mother’s relentless work to support their family while his father was incarcerated, his formative experiences in a city like Rome, and the pervasive influence of hip-hop in Italian youth culture helped shape his identity. Despite facing racism and social injustices, Issaa's music became his outlet, channeling the anger and frustration he felt about the discrimination he and others like him experienced.
Issaa’s rap is a defiant act of resistance—his lyrics denounce racism, classism, and the oppression faced by marginalized communities in Italy. With raw honesty, he describes how being discriminated against for his name, skin color, and perceived immigrant status fueled his drive to break free from society’s expectations.
Italy, traditionally a racially and culturally homogeneous country, saw hip-hop make its mark in the '80s as a youth-driven movement. Issaa’s journey into hip-hop culture was an evolution—beginning with skateboarding, then graffiti, followed by breakdancing, before finally embracing rap. His debut album, Uomo di prestigio, released in 2006, marked the start of a musical career that has continued to inspire others. Before becoming an educator and traveling internationally to teach hip-hop workshops, Issaa used his music as a platform for social change.
This Is What I Live For is more than just a memoir—it's a love letter to his family, especially his mother, sister, and the strong women who raised him. It’s also a call to recognize the role of politics and social divisions in Italian society, from the tensions between left and right-wing ideologies to the persistence of fascist thought. Through his story, Issaa invites readers into the heart of Italian youth culture and the transformative power of hip-hop.
For anyone passionate about music, identity, and social justice, This Is What I Live For is a must-read. It’s a powerful reminder of the strength found in embracing your true self and the power of storytelling to challenge the status quo.
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