Soultana is Morocco’s first female rapper and paving the way for Arab female hip hop artists and women’s rights. Rap is a largely male-dominated industry and to rap in a country where a woman’s voice is not equal to a man’s takes courage.
Soultana, whose birth name is Youssra Oakuf said, “I wasn’t searching for fame or money, I was searching for respect from people. This is how I got started. Hip hop taught me how to be strong and how to face men. “
Soultana is Morocco’s first female rapper and paving the way for Arab female hip hop artists and women’s rights.
In her song Maghrebia, Soultana includes powerful lyrics directly speaking to Moroccan women, telling them it’s ok to raise their voice and not to let negative remarks made about them in society dampen their spirit. Soultana sings, “This is the Moroccan woman. This is one of a million women’s voice that I’m calling. Girls voice that is lost in my country. The voice of those who want to say but can’t.”
Her songs speak to cultural taboos like prostitution, social and political issues, and everyday struggles.
Soultana says she draws her inspiration from meeting local Moroccan women during her travels. They tell her, “ You are singing what I want to say.” The female artist did not have any formal musical training. She was brought into the hip-hop world when she studied English and felt inspired by the street art scene in Rabat. By 2005 she had forged the band Tigresse Flow, which won a prize at Mawazine, Rabat’s national music festival. Unfortunately, the group did not receive the monetary prize as rap was not considered a worthy musical category.Regardless of challenges, the 29-year-old singer persevered.