How This Dissident Rapper Is Subverting Moroccan Censorship

As Morocco's dissident rapper Mouad Belghouat, better known as El Haqed, begins sound checking for their first concert on home turf, word comes in that a fan has been arrested for trying to enter the venue.

"Police are blocking the entrance and the streets around it, preventing the public from attending the concert and journalists from reporting," Belghouat tells me, as a handful of key supporters already inside L'Uzine—Casablanca's only cultural centre for young creatives—run five flights of stairs to a dark room to witness security officials blocking vehicles from entering the street without being spotted. Minutes before the power supply to the building is cut, the rapper tries to update his 43,000 Facebook followers about what's happening but fails; the Wi-Fi signal has faded.

Religious and sexual themes or provocative video clips can still get a song banned from the airwaves in Morocco, and a series of high-profile prison sentences served by Belghouat between 2011 to 2014 show how the government is using the law in an attempt to silence him.

"Since my music is forbidden on public radio and television, the internet is very important for me because it is the only way I can connect with observers and fans," Belghouat said. "I can't release records, and police stop concerts organised for me by other people."

Known online as L7a9d—the alphanumeric spelling of El Haqed which roughly translates as "The Enraged" in English—Belghouat's online posts frequently address Morocco's corruption and social injustice. "I distribute music mainly through YouTube and Facebook," he said. "I consider them as alternative platforms for discussion and blogging to give updates about my work, as well as opinions on national and international issues."

Rising to prominence as the song "Mellit" ("I'm fed up") became an anthem of the pro-democracy February 20 Movement in 2011—a protest inspired by the success of the Tunisian revolution that led to the Arab Spring—he was first jailed for four months for getting into a fight with a regime supporter, considered by supporters to be trumped-up assault charges aimed at silencing him. His music gained wider circulation on YouTube, where videos calling for his release accompanied by his songs were frequently uploaded. He was released in February 2012.

This was only the beginning of El Haqed's musical resistance. He was arrested again in May 2012 for "hurting the image of the police" through the song "Klab Dawla" or "Dogs of the State."

"It's really difficult to describe the feelings I went through during this period," he told Motherboard. "Someone had decided to place an image portraying a police officer with a donkey's head with my song and upload it onto YouTube. I don't even know who did it, as I had nothing to do with it—but after all, I lived the experience and fought in order to steadfast my future."

Despite the court sentencing him for a year in prison, the video is still viewable online. "You are paid to protect the citizens, not to steal their money," the lyrics read. "Did your commander order you to take money from the poor?" Other lyrics ask the police to arrest the wealthy businessmen who have divided the country, leading to a refrain about social class."You call this prison? I've been in an outdoor prison my whole life!" El-Haqed raps.

The tension heightened when he broke his silence by releasing the album "Walou" ("Nothing") through YouTube in February 2014. "We had arranged to conduct a press conference at a public library to present the new album but the police came to raid the building," he recalled. "All the concerts that were due to take place in other cities after that were also stopped in a similar way. The library still remains closed to this day."

Despite the threats, the album reached Moroccan audiences online with a separate music video for the song "Walou." Clearly marked "clip officiel" in French, it has generated over 1.4 million plays since its upload.

Within three months following the release on YouTube, El-Haqed was arrested again—this time, police claimed he was selling tickets on the black market outside Mohammed V stadium in Casablanca and allegedly beat four policemen during the event.

"I never thought I would be arrested for my work. It's an ongoing battle," Belghouat said, denying the accusations. "But I treated every opportunity in prison like an artistic residency. I taught those who I had met in prison how to sing, becoming more educated and understanding our society better in the process."

The more attempts were made to clamp down on his activities, the more recognition he got for fighting human rights. The awards he received for his work—including the Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression for Arts Award and Izerfan Trophy for Human Rights—stand proudly on top of his bookshelf, looking over fellow rappers and youths who visit his heavily graffitied bedroom for inspiration and knowledge.

Belghouat hopes his recent recognition outside of Morocco will gradually help open doors towards engaging with audiences beyond the internet. "I've not had the opportunity play a single concert in my home country to develop and practice my performing skills," he said. "I want to stay away from the limelight and the harassment of power until I have completed work on my next album. The protests were sit ins; it's not the same as experiencing a produced show live on stage."

For now, collaborations with other rappers are getting clicks, including his first release of 2015—uploaded just a week before the forced cancellation by police of what would have been his first planned concert.