NARCY, which is now the acronym for “Neo Arab Rebel Called Yassin” released his latest musical work earler this week, and it’s called “World. War. Free.”

The work, and the name change is the latest in the ongoing evolution of this Montreal rapper, teacher, and writer.

In an interview with the CBC’s Nantali Indongo, NARCY said the ‘Neo Arab Rebel’ title comes from a new wave in Arab identity.  He defines this identity “as someone who finds a new self on the planet earth and not in a particular country.”

Yassin Alsalman is of Iraqi heritage, born in Abu Dhabi and the family immigrated to Canada when he was a teenager.  He completed his Masters in Media Studies at Concordia University and has taught courses there since.

About this new album, NARCY told Indongo the he feels very strongly about his music, and his art, that it presents another narrative of the Arab experience, one that is written by himself, not a reaction to the stereotypes that are out there.

World. War. Free.

With this new album, NARCY was imagining a world where war is illegal.  He created a story arc with the first few songs about a world where peace is being enforced.  And then the songs begin to reflect the challenges of our time. He told Nantali Indongo that he was also exploring the internal war, trying to be free of the pressures we live with.

Another element weaved into the album concerns the dynamic between father and son. As the father of a two-year-old boy now, he wanted to create a template for his son as a Canadian, to navigate the identity of recent immigrant heritage, and connect with some of the people who are on the receiving end of current discrimination and oppression.