Gon

Zeid Khater’s is out with his debut album, Consider Violence. The hip hop artist goes by the name Gon –which he says has a dual meaning. When Eight Forty-Eight Poet-in-Residence Kevin Coval spoke with Gone, he said it references his origins in two cultures that exist a mere world apart.
- Chicago Public Radio

Never have I seen an Arab rapper raps so passionately in English or any other tongue. Gon, the American rapper from Palestinian decent reminds me why rap is great….he reminds me of how it was meant for people who have grown up in bad circumstances. Imaginary Door is only one song from Gon’s album “Consider Violence” In his music video, Gon shows us that he has the scars worthy only of an angry Arab rapper, an Arab rapper with the mass appeal of Stars of the likes of Eminem. but I do not need to tell you this becasue you will feel this in Imaginary Door. A rap not about politics, but about rage and being trapped. Gon is the Arab answer to the likes of Kanya West for sure. - KaboFest

Gon, the founder of Urchin Studios, stopped in to the Chicago Edition with me and discusses his latest project, Consider Violence. The project dropped in May, but is still buzzing, and gaining momentum (you should cop it if you don't already have it). We get in to the benefits of being independent, dealing with controversy and why he doesn't feel hip hop. Gon is a unique emcee with a lot to say, so listen to here on The Chicago Edition.

Broadcasting your stuff on 89.5 FM in Chicago, Northwest Indiana
- Vocalo 89.5

Never have I seen an Arab rapper raps so passionately in English or any other tongue. Gon, the American rapper from Palestinian decent reminds me why rap is great....he reminds me of how it was meant for people who have grown up in bad circumstances. Imaginary Door is only one song from Gon's album "Consider Violence" In his music video, Gon shows us that he has the scars worthy only of an angry Arab rapper, an Arab rapper with the mass appeal of Stars of the likes of Eminem. but I do not need to tell you this becasue you will feel this in Imaginary Door. A rap not about politics, but about rage and being trapped Gon is the Arab answer to the likes of Kanya West for sure.

This song stood out to me not becasue Gon says he had enough, but also becasue he sounds like a man who had enough, a man who is not going to take it anymore. You can see his survival instinct in the music video and how countless other underdogs came to his rescue.

Imaginary too intelligent for a club and too upbeat for elevators but it seems just right for an underdog sport movie of the likes of Rocky. Imaginary Door is a reflection of the keen self-awareness of the rapper. While many rappers can dazzle by snapping off political verses, Gon seems to have figured out to earn the listeners full attention and he does that by his lyrics, wit and a hint of goofiness. One thing for sure, the appeal of this song translated well for too many listeners. everywhere.

I defiantly hope to see Gon perform this live one day.
- Hot Arabic Music

Gon is a Chicago based hip-hop artist who with his friends, founded the record label Urchin Studios which began in 2005. With a strong writing background, Gon's music focuses on personal conflicts that extend to commentary on social and political issues.

The 23-year-old just completed his third album, "Consider Violence" to be released on May 25. Gon will be performing the same day of the release at a concert hosted by DePaul's SJP, Students for Justice in Palestine.


The Depaulia: Why the name Gon?

Gon: The name Gon is an elevation of a lot of other names, which I won't mention, but the reason I stuck to Gon, is because it's a representation of what I want to be. Not necessarily absent, but when you know something is gone, you know that it's not present anymore and to be the representation of that means to be the representation of what is absent or missing from the culture of hip-hop in general. I would like to be the missing link or the thing that is currently non-existent.



TD: What do you think is the missing link?


Gon: In all honesty, I'm not sure; you know that's why I'm trying to fill it. But I think there are things that I think are obviously missing and thing that are not so obviously missing. The things that are obviously missing right now, especially in mainstream culture, is someone who raps who actually has a brain. That's definitely dead. Because now I really feel like it's the dumber you are the higher the pedestal. I feel like it's other than just intelligence, because in the underground you do have people that are intelligent but there's still a certain thing that's missing.

I feel like it's actual substance. And the way I would personally define substance, is not necessarily saying things that are relevant but having experiences and talking about those things, the experiences themselves being relevant. Because you could have an album full of political songs, but it may not matter. I'm not affected by something like that. I know the issues and I could read a book and know more about it than you can tell me. So I really feel also that style outweighs subject matter when it comes, in particular, to hip-hop. That is part of what I'd like to bring to the table, an interesting style that strongly manifests my subject matter through it.



TD: Do you feel that your own music accomplishes bringing substance and an interesting style into the mix? What do you feel your own music expresses?


Gon: What I've always liked about the stuff that I have liked is what I'm trying to re-emulate. I feel like it has to be a personal thing. Your music has to be subjective because you're talking to a broader audience than humans in a living room, for example. So I feel like, even "Consider Violence" in particular, fronts as a political album but it's not a political album at all. It's actually just my personal observances on the political situation. I just really like songs that introduce me to a human being as opposed to songs that introduce me to a topic.



TD: What is your creative process like?


Gon: I wait. I wait because I feel like there are certain things in life that are not manufactured, it's not a faucet you can turn on and off, In fact instead of it being like a faucet, I think it's more like a the sea, like the ocean waves. You don't know when they're coming but when they do, you can just ride and surf and do all that crazy stuff. You can't really manipulate that particular aspect.



TD: Does anyone or anything influence you, anyone in particular?


Gon: Oh man. No. No I'm just kidding. I come more from a writing background than from a music background. I've always liked the way Kurt Vonnegut wrote, and the way Charles Bukowski wrote poems. They have a direct style and it's always very fun to read and I would assume also fun to listen to. In terms of hip-hop I'd say my favorite rappers; the ones that had the most influence on me were Aseop Rock, Nas and probably Tupac.



TD: Tell me about your upcoming album, "Consider Violence."


Gon: Well it's a long time in the making and it includes songs that were made a long time ago and some of them that were made very recently and the mix for some reason, works beautifully. It is a very personal album; I definitely dug deep into my brain to make it. I wasn't really watching much news.

There are songs that are very surface based but most of it is stuff that's really 'internal conflicty,' if that's even an adjective. I don't want to give away too much because I want people to actually enjoy it and be surprised and hear it but it's fantasmic. It features rappers like Reef the Lost Cause and C-Rayz. I've had the pleasure to work with them and they're really nice dudes. And of course Ed Hooligan off our record label [Urchin Studios].



TD: What does the concept consider violence mean?


Gon: Well the actual words 'consider violence' are denoting two things. One, it's a reactionary suggestion to those who have been continually oppressed and for people that offer them nothing but pacifism and I feel like that's kind of not fair. For someone like us, who are living here in a world that is not a war zone, it's easy to offer pacifism. But to those who are living in the midst of destruction and hell, it would just be foolish. In fact, it would be the biggest crime to offer them that suggestion. Secondly, it is to point out the absolute irony or cruelty of people who, just because they dress in nice suits and are very seemingly civilized, all they need to do is sign a treaty and shake hands with another like-minded scumbag and can absolutely destroy entire cities, raid villages and stuff like that. That's why the actual title is really sarcastic, very sardonic. Consider violence sounds very polite, but the actual suggestion is actually very ugly and very uncivilized.
- Depaulia

Gon :: Consider Violence :: Urchin Studios
as reviewed by Mike Baber

[Consider Violence] "This world is full of lovely, elegant, heartwarming stories, but this CD is not."

And so begins the intro track on Chicago emcee Gon's debut album, "Consider Violence," a politically and socially conscious work that examines some of the problems Gon sees around the world. In a Facebook message to fans explaining the album's name, Gon writes:

"I am not a violent person, nor do I hold the belief that the solution to the world's problems are to be sought through massive destruction of the 'others'. I do, however, see violence as a necessary tool for people who have no other option and so forth."

"Consider Violence" is a fitting title, though, not only because of the lyrical content of the album, but also because of Gon's aggressive and violent delivery. As he deals with issues such as conflict in the Middle East, racial profiling, and his struggles to make it as an underground rapper, Gon comes with an f-you mentality and a raw uncensored style of rhyming that, while more toned down and less complex, is reminiscent of Eminem's style from his "Marshall Mathers LP" days. With a good mix of busy up tempo beats and slower, more reflective tracks, "Consider Violence" is Gon truly bearing his inner thoughts on life without really caring what anyone else thinks.

In 2005, Gon was nothing more than a college student with a passion for hip-hop when he founded Urchin Studios with a couple friends as a means of getting his music out. Two mixtapes and five years later, Gon still has a number of doubters, and he doesn't shy away from expressing his frustration with the rap game on "Consider Violence." "Never Knew Me" is his personal call out to all those who have hated on him and on Urchin Studios, as he raps "Keep your lesson, I don't need a reverend/ You're the reason they invented voicemail, leave a message." And on the track "Echo," over a simple drum pattern and an eerie string sample from Clint Mansell's "Lux Aeterna," Gon spits:

"In many ways, emceeing is the art of
Wasting one's life complaining bout it 'til it falls crushed
Lower middle class to middle class to skipping class
To spitting raps to scribbling facts to build this track before my heart bust"

In case it wasn't clear already, Gon has no qualms about fully expressing himself, even if it means being overly explicit or very critical of the government (once again, a very Eminem-like mindset). On "White Flag," over a pulsing synthy piano, Gon engages in a call and response with another emcee:

"You know the government is hearing all this?
*I don't care*
Why are they behaving so responseless?
*I don't know*
How about discussing this in Congress?
*I won't stare into the eyes of a mothafucker with no soul
What if that verse gets you arrested?
*I don't care*
Are you sure you ain't gonna regret this?
*I don't know*
Maybe it's just better if you end this?
*I don't care like church I listen to nothing that I'm told there*"

Gon isn't afraid to make a political statement on "Play Nice," either, as he raps: "And someone tell Wolf Blitzer to shut his fucking mouth/ Save that fabricated hatred for another crowd."

While Gon's lyrical prowess is, for the most part, able to carry a song by itself, "Consider Violence" has several guest artists who bless the mic, as well. Peter Frank sings the chorus for several tracks on the album, including the lead single "Imaginary Doors." Reef the Lost Cauze (member of the underground hip-hop supergroup Army of the Pharaohs) and Urchin Studios rapper Ed Hooligan each spit a ferocious verse on "Peace, Harmony, & Hugs," which features a piercing high-pitched synth contrasted with a deep brassy synth and an aggressive drum loop. Another Urchin Studios artist, New York emcee C-Rayz Walz, collaborates with Gon on the track "Black Rain," which pits a soothing flute melody over a set of bongo-like drums.

In the end, what it really boils down to is that "Consider Violence" is not for everyone. Gon's brash and uncensored style of rhyming may drive some listeners away, but those who give the CD a thorough listen through will find that Gon's lyrics, full of political and social commentary mixed with witty one-liners, make for an interesting and eye-opening album. While "Consider Violence" may not have any impact on the mainstream rap market, any hip-hop fan looking for something with a little more lyrical depth than the billboard chart toppers of today should look no further than Gon's debut album.

Music Vibes: 6.5 of 10 Lyric Vibes: 8 of 10 TOTAL Vibes: 8 of 10 - Rap Reviews

Chicago-based Palestinian American rapper Gon isn't apologizing. In his recently released hip-hop album Consider Violence, Gon aggressively confronts political and personal realities, boldly lyricizing his uncompromising opinions. His album, naturally, addresses the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but his thought-provoking verses approach topics from all aspects of life. Gon writes what he knows. And being of Palestinian descent, part of what he knows is struggle.

Gon's beats and lyrics are crafted with a sincere attempt at quality, original hip-hop. "I'm really uncompromising when it comes to the way I do hip-hop -- I have too deep of a nostalgia and an admiration for the stuff I really used to like about it," Gon said in an interview with The Electronic Intifada. "If I want to make a record, if I want to hear something, it has to be something that doesn't sound like anything else."

Underneath his stage name, Gon is 24-year-old Zeid Khater, who spent part of his childhood growing up in Jordan, where much of his family lives. A graduate of Chicago's Columbia College, after spending much of his college career writing rhymes during his classes, Khater eventually decided to start recording music and have his creations heard. He started the Urchin Studios record label with a few of his friends and fellow artists in order to be able to create music at his own will. A few years and a couple of mix tapes later, Khater came out with Consider Violence.

"Consider Violence -- it sounds really polite," Khater said of his album title. "Just because the Israeli officials are dressed in suits and they seem like the most civilized faction, does it mean that their war is more polite, so to speak? It doesn't make you less of a terrorist if you're wearing a suit and a tie."

Despite Khater's subject matter and provocative lyrics, he is not asking for any radical change. He is simply inviting people to listen, inviting them to think. In his single "White Flag," he satirizes the idea of protesting and invoking change with his music -- "Peace in Palestine, they say resist with rap, how cute, we'll make a song and then they'll give it back," he writes.

The album isn't about Palestine or for Palestine, Khater explained, but as a Palestinian the struggle manifests itself into who he is, and thus into his music. "It becomes a part of your personality," Khater said. "You grow up and you're used to it and it still bothers with you, but it just becomes an extension of who you are. Which is why I make songs about Palestine and still don't perceive this to be a political album. It's just me talking about things that I feel and believe are true."

The voice and perspective Khater presents in his music is one seldom heard in the US, though it is one that represents many individuals. "I definitely do get a lot of gratification knowing that people are hearing this side of the fence [through my music]," Khater said. "Hearing the social things that I talk about, from the perspective of a Muslim, from the perspective of a younger Arab guy who's lived in the Midwest for most of his life. I don't think there's anyone else that can fill that void, at least not right now."

Listening to Khater aka Gon's work, one can get the sense that he chooses his words without regard to expectations or appearances. His lyrics and beats communicate what he is truly compelled to say, delivering a refreshing, insightful experience for his audience.

Maryam Jameel is a sophomore at Northwestern University, where she studies journalism and Middle East studies.
- The Electronic Intifada