1998–2000: Early development DAM founders
Tamer Nafar, Suhell Nafar and Mahmoud Jreri were born and raised in high-density,
impoverished neighborhoods in
Lod, the living conditions of which they have subsequently called those of "second-class citizens" in their music. After listening to 1990s Algerian rap groups such as
Micro Brise le Silence (MBS), the Nafar brothers became convinced to abandon English lyrics in favour of Arabic.
Tupac Amaru Shakur's songs has also been noted as an emblematic figure in rap that helped inspire DAM. DAM leader Tamer Nafar began his career in 1998 in the Jewish–Israeli rap scene under the wing of the Tunisian–Iranian-origin Israeli rap artist
Subliminal. In 1998, Tamer released his first EP, "Stop Selling Drugs," featuring his younger brother, Suhell Nafar. Nafar then formed DAM in 1999 with his brother Suhell and their friend Muhammad Jrere, but as late as 2000 the group continues to perform in concert with Subliminal and other Jewish–Israeli rappers. DAM was created in order to give a voice, and a platform to express widespread disillusionment and discontent felt by the Palestinian youth facing discrimination and oppression from Israel. The trio having experienced adolescence in this context, used hip hops as a means of communicating their sentiments towards their difficult situations as Palestinians. In their early days, the group had limited access to recording studios and necessary equipment, and experienced censorship, surveillance and persecution by Israeli authorities. They later went on to perform in the
West Bank, where they sampled "famed protest poetry and traditional song material" and brought it into their rap. The film
Slingshot Hip Hop features DAM's three founders as protagonists as it traces the rise of DAM and other Palestinian hip hop groups. Though DAM is sometimes mistakenly identified as the first Palestinian hip hop or rap group, At that same time,
Udi Aloni released his second documentary "
Local Angel" that also featured DAM and they toured around Europe with the film. The Born Here Campaign also featured a bus tour in the Palestinian neighborhoods for Israel's top celebrities. The campaign created a huge local media outrage. Many artists joined the ride, among which were: Moni Moshonov, Aviv Geffen, Ha Yehudim, Yoav Kutner, Gila Almagor. "When we say Hip Hop is a bridge, we mean it metaphorically and Literary," said Tamer in his TEDEX speech in 2012 in Nazareth. Tamer maintained to make political and historical tours after that, for schools, local and foreign groups, and for international artists such as Erykah Badu, Ezra Koenig from the American rock band - Vampire's Weekend, Michael Franti, Gbenga Akinnagbe actor on the TV show
The Wire. The Born Here Campaign with DAM also toured Israel to spread awareness for the campaign.
2006–2010 DAM released their first album, ''"
Ihda'"'' or "Dedication", in 2006. DAM signed with the British label RCM – Red Circle Music to market the album in Europe and gave the licensing to
EMI Arabia to distribute the album in the Arab countries, they also signed with the French booking agency
3D Family to tour the
Sundance Film Festival,
Womad,
Dubai International Film Festival, among others, as well as the local
Taybeh Beer Festival in
Taybeh, State of Palestine. In 2008, the American filmmaker
Jackie Salloum released the documentary
Slingshot Hip Hop about the story of Palestinian Hip Hop within Israel and the
occupied Palestinian territories. The film was screened at the
2008 Sundance Film Festival and prominently features DAM, alongside other Palestinian artists, inclyuding
Abeer Zinaty (aka Sabreena da Witch, also from
Lod), the Gaza-based
Palestinian Rapperz,
Arapeyat and
Mahmoud Shalabi, both from
Acre. The soundtrack was mostly recorded at Sabreen Studio, East Jerusalem; the album had songs such "Who is the terrorist" by DAM, "Tzakar" by PR, "Blinded Freedom" by Shalabi, "The witch's Uprising" by Abeer and Suhell Nafar and “Sot el Samt” by
WE7. In 2009, when Israel started to advertise for Israel's Palestinian citizens to serve in the National Service instead of the Army, the campaign was opposed by Palestinian organizations and activists, including the
Baladna organization, which asked DAM to write and record a theme song for the campaign. In 2010, DAM were asked by
Adala to participate in the short film that describes the Israeli legal discrimination towards Palestinians, DAM was offered to meet with Adala's lawyers, ask questions and regarding the answer, they will go to the studio followed by the camera and record a song about it. DAM came out with the song "Muwaten Mustahdaf – Targeted Citizen", the directors liked the title of the song, so they ended up using it for the title of the film and the campaign. In 2010, Tamer Nafar fronted the international music event "Lyrical Alliance" in the UK, which drew together artists from North Africa, the Middle East in what was subsequently called "The dream team of Arabic hip hop".
2011–present After 5 years of performing and touring, and participating in other Artists' projects, DAM decided to release the first single from their future album "Nudbok Al Amar – Dabka on the Moon". The name of the first single is "Risale min Zinzane - A Letter from the Cell", they featured in the song Trio Joubran and Bachar Marcell Khalifa. During the writing process of the song, DAM met with the
Addameer organization a few times to collect information, personal stories, and letters so they can create three fictional characters that will be based on true stories. == Musical style and impact ==