Problems in Greece are far from over. In a volatile political climate, economic woes still prove a hotbed for far-right activity. But in the face of hostility, a group of young rappers from diverse backgrounds have built a dynamic scene from the embers of crisis – one that serves as a direct rebuke to those seeking to other them. The midday sun is beating down on a scruffy industrial estate in Tavros, a suburb on the outskirts of Athens. Everything in sight is a shade of sun-bleached dirt, except for some imposing warehouse gates topped with razor wire, and a big metal wheelie bin painted yellow with black stripes – the colours of the local team, Fostiras F.C. (The ‘Yellow Army Hooligans’).
Text: Alex King Photography: Theo McInnes
Suddenly, a shiny Hummer – also yellow and black – pulls up and out jump two guys and a girl. The taller man, wearing a tight t-shirt and gold chain, is Kareem Kalokoh, a 26-year-old rapper whose star is rising around the world. Kareem is co-founder of ATH Kids collective, an Athens rap crew that first started around 2015 and now find themselves at the forefront of Greece’s dynamic homegrown hip hop scene.
Flanked by his girlfriend Alessia and regular collaborator Kid Young, Kareem grinds a cigarette into the floor with his leather loafers and walks over to fire some verses directly into a pair of traffic mirrors. “Tell my mother I made it, I’m on TV,” he raps in English, all while being captured on an analogue Super 8 camera wielded by Kaius Potter, an Australian filmmaker. With its strictly yellow and black colour palette (a tribute to the neighbourhood where Kid Young grew up), the video they’re shooting is another striking example of what ATH Kids do best: presenting Athens – a city known to outsiders for its ancient ruins and riots – in a way that few have seen it before.
“We speak Greek and rap in English – our crew has black dudes, a latino dude, white dudes,” Kareem says. “We put it all together – just like you’ll find in the neighbourhoods of Athens. That mix is the most important thing about who we are.” Amid a volatile political climate, with police and far-right violence rising once again, Greek rappers have a lot to get off their chests. Despite what the new right-wing government would have you believe, problems here are far from over. Times are hard for almost everyone – especially if you’re a second-generation immigrant. If your voice is ignored and your skin colour is seen as a provocation to many, what do you
