Tamer Nafar at Fusion Festival 2026

About this set

• Live Act

Regarded as the godfather of Arabic hip-hop, Tamer Nafar is a rapper, actor, screenwriter, author and social activist.  As a Palestinian citizen of Israel, fluent in Arabic, Hebrew, and self-taught in English, Tamer has established himself as one of the most outspoken Palestinian voices in Israel, using his art and writing to communicate the realities faced by Palestinians in the region.  The tour will celebrate the release of Tamer’s debut English album, In the Name of the Father, the Imam & John Lennon. After years of systematic pressure and government-backed campaigns in Israel aimed at cancelling Tamer’s shows and silencing his voice, this European tour marks a new chapter — a declaration of artistic freedom and persistence. The album is a testament to the resilience of art under oppression. Years in the making it’s a collection of released and unreleased tracks, it’s a powerful blend of hip-hop, drill and funk that combines protest and poetry featuring artists including, MC Abdul, Noel Kharman, Sammy Shiblaq & Rasha Nahas. Tamer grew up in Lyd, a mixed Palestinian-Jewish city near Tel Aviv, home to one of the largest drug markets in the Middle East. As a teenager, inspired by Tupac, he discovered hip-hop and became the world’s first Arab rapper. In 2000, Tamer co-founded DAM, the first Arabic hip-hop group with his brother Suhell and friend Mahmood Jrere, their breakout single “Min Irhabi” (Who’s the Terrorist) became a viral anthem and was downloaded over a million times, earning DAM international acclaim.  Tamer’s bold advocacy has earned him wide respect both regionally and globally and whose journey has inspired documentaries and award-winning films. He is an acclaimed story-teller who  co-wrote and starred in Junction 48, directed by Udi Aloni, which won the Audience Award at the Berlin Film Festival and Best International Film at Tribeca. In 2026, he will release Three G’s (Macmillan/Metropolitan Books), a fictional memoir following three generations of ’48 Palestinians—Fawzi, Tamer, and Shaden Nafar—living inside Israel.