Lowkey is a British musician, poet, playwright and political activist of English and Iraqi descent. His ancestry seems to have had a profound impact on his music, which is filled with refrences to imperialism – past and present – in the Middle East. “I think some of us submit to the dominant power or culture at the time. I think it is important to keep where you are from alive,” he says.
Lowkey is a vocal opponent of Zionism and has been become well known for his pro-Palestinian activities as a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign , describing Zionism as colonialism and ethnic cleansing.
Soundtrack to the Struggle was the MC’s second and most notable release. It featured collaborations with Immortal Technique, M-1 of Dead Prez and Shadia Mansour, the first lady of Arabic hip-hop. Unabashedly political, Lowkey sampled Lupe Fiasco‘s line from “Words I Never Said” that was scathingly critical of President Barack Obama and went all in. The resulting “Obama Nation Part 2” featuring M-1 and Black the Ripper proved that letters to the president in the form of hip-hop are still being voiced at a time when the man sitting in the Oval Office is Black. Other tracks touted the Palestinian cause and denounced conspicuous consumption in society.
