962 is the hip-hop movement and the name of the main hip-hop group in Jordan similar to the 961 in Lebanon and probably many others around the Arab World. It’s easily to tell but if you’re wondering what does 962 mean, it’s the country code for calling Jordan.

The Jordanian hip-hop scene manifesting in rap, break dance, beat-boxing, graffiti and underground hip hop music is blooming and it’s quite exciting to watch! Amer Al-Taher who has just released a new track by the way is one talent to keep an eye on. MC NiZ-R from TAJ adds a different flavor, and Fadi A.Ghazaleh AKA MC Maze is popular already! (some really good shit up there)

And it’s even more exciting to see that all of them have MySpace profiles and use Facebook to promote their work and communicate with their fans.

Female presence is still very limited if not non-existence actually. I can see why in a country like Jordan, street music is still catering to the male audience but I hope that this will not continue to be the norm and that soon enough we will see girls as band members and hip-hop enthusiasts such as myself (albeit I need to let go and stop being so aware of the male-oriented culture around me).

I’m very jealous of the Lebanese hip-hop scene by the way. Lebanese seem to know how to play the entertainment card I guess. I think that part of the reason why our hip-hop scene is still a shy one, in the sense that it is still a street thing, is that Jordanians are generally not variety seekers and are more traditional than say Lebanese or Egyptians. But that remains a personal assumption of course.

If you’re into Arabic hip-hop, here are some of the most remarkable Arabic hip-hop groups and rappers:

• The amazing DAM

• My favorite Arab female MC Malikah

• The very expressive Ramallah Underground

• The GENIUS DJ Lethal Skillz