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HaHa-HipHop Comedy Show Tackles Social Issues
HaHa-HipHop featuring Khaled TheComic and Khaled M. will perform at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday in the lower level auditorium at the Arab American National Museum,13624 Michigan Ave.
Tickets, which are required for the shows at the Arab American National Museum, are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Visit www.arabamericanmuseum.org to purchase tickets online.
HaHa-HipHop is a collaborative performance between comedians and hip hop artists geared towards creating dialogue on social issues. Performances include two equal portions of stand-up comedy and hip hop music by nationally recognized and local artists. This fusion of comedy and music, telling cultural and social anecdotes will be an experience like no other.
HaHa-HipHop’s goal is to create art with purpose that, through performances, offers a space for exploring, critiquing and celebrating cultural diversity. It also seeks to create opportunities for artists of different backgrounds to find ways to bridge the gap of their own experiences into the larger American narrative.
Selected as “Best of Fest Comic at the 2011 New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, Khaled TheComic brings a fresh, smart perspective to comedy in this tour as one of the primary artists, along with the Chicago Urban Music Awards’ Lyricist of the Year Khaled M., a Libyan American recording artist who has worked and performed with Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Lowkey and DAM, to produce passionate music about prevalent social and political issues. Both are activists in their own right, playing an active role in bringing awareness and bridging the gaps among different cultures.
Khaled TheComic (aka Khaled Taha) was born in Texas to (mostly) Palestinian parents and raised in Indiana next door to his Lebanese grandmother. He brings a fresh, smart perspective to comedy because of his experience as the child of immigrants living the culture clash between Arab cultures and being a first generation Arab-American. His comedy focuses on lived experiences, stories of a family that settled into a predominantly black neighborhood and the impact on his childhood. He also incorporates his outside-the-box interpretations of human behavior and motives.
Khaled has performed at a wide range of comedy clubs in the U.S. and Canada as a touring comedian. He is the creator and co-founder of Arab-issh, a platform for the next generation of “brown” to “cafe olé” comics on the local, national and international stages. Arab-issh also works to cultivate and encourage new talent across the U.S. and Canada. When he’s not touring, Khaled headlines and hosts regular Arab-issh shows in his home base of Chicago.
Born in Libya and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, rapper Khaled M. was inspired by his father, Fathi, a brilliant poet who brought his family to America after being jailed in Libya for taking part in an anti-government protest. Fathi died when Khaled was just nine years old; as the years passed, Khaled became more proficient and in high school, his witty battle lines defeated all comers. Then came college and ghostwriting; Khaled’s ghostwriting resume encompasses a variety of acts including up-and-coming rappers, veterans trying to re-establish themselves and even R&B songstresses.
Now Khaled is ready to pick up the mic and make his own mark on the rap industry. He aims to make music that people can relate to but reaches farther than the same monotonous, stereotypical rap themes replayed on the radio. With the rare combination of a quick wit, substance and lyrical ability, there’s no question Khaled’s time is now.
Dearborn Press & Guide