Sama’an Ashrawi @SamaanAshrawi Twitter profile

Pinned Tweet

Sama’an Ashrawi

4 years

I don’t usually do threads but today I wanna tell y’all why these 20 seconds of footage of a kid in a blue and red jacket stage diving at a Bad Brains concert at CBGB’s in NYC in 1982 are important. Then I wanna tell y’all this kid’s story.

481

11K

46K

Last Seen Profiles

@galery_basah10

@encelad_nft

@shou2you2

@envyofyibo

@JudyGamer90

@ResiFootball

@SlnManoon

@costalgranadino

@_dani_pao

@KHAN_ZADI_0

@VmaniakJ

@bokeplokalmalam

@stwmaniax

@ella_vierra2

@MatyasEsnaldo

@Nscy2x

@bebebee0520

@whatistybdoing

@loungerikachan

@cukienaknikmati

@pupsMama7

@PWF_Efed1

@yyt000812

@ACSparta_Mladez

@ggukbubbles_24

@damistalk

@ScottDarling15

@Dawid53562689

@qiqisd_521

@littlesulaala

@ILiveForURAWA

@Ahla_toot

@h_dwl1

@xunw126337

@FortRoyalFriend

@Raaa_79

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

My Grandpa Dave told me he was sure he was gay when he was moving into his dorm room freshman year of college and there was a boy “with the prettiest eyes;” after Grandpa passed, I learned from my mother who that boy was.

1K

30K

280K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

Over lunch (and an Arnold Palmer) John opened up about their relationship. “We were honest with each other,” John told us. “Not in terms of not lying, but honest about who we were and who we were becoming. [Your grandfather] was a great gift to me.” The End! (for now 🔮)

151

512

52K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

Then John sent me some photos of my grandfather that we’d never seen before. There was my grandpa, Dave Fisher, in his shiny boxing shorts, looking young and curious and serious all at once. How incredible 😭😭😭

37

480

36K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

the two horsemen of the revolution

32

8K

35K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

In New York just recently, my family (minus one sister) went to meet up with John, now 95, in person. My mother hadn’t seen him since she was a child.

13

283

31K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

His name was John Kander. After college, John, along with his partner Fred Ebb, would go on to compose two of the greatest Broadway musicals of all-time.

22

474

29K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

My mom told me it was a song John had written for Grandpa 🥹 I put the record on and listened… some very moody piano solos, it sounded theatrical. I needed to know more. I went online, was John even still alive? To my amazement, the answer was yes! 94 years old.

5

299

26K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

He told me the record we have isn’t just a song, it’s a whole entire one-act musical called ‘Our Boy’ that he wrote at the age of 22; and not only that, he wanted my grandfather to be the lead 🥹🥹 It was a play about a boxer grappling with the existential feelings of defeat.

6

393

26K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

One was called ‘Chicago,’ and the other was ‘Cabaret.’

14

311

24K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

They also wrote the theme song for a 1977 Scorsese film called ‘New York, New York;’ originally sung by Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra would immortalize it a few years later.

19

486

22K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

It was a bookcase I walked by a dozen times a day, maybe more. Why had I never noticed this 7” vinyl poking out of one of the shelves? I pulled it out. It was a custom pressing and written in pencil was: “Our Boy,” the year, “1951,” and the composer’s name: “John Kander.”

2

306

20K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

John wrote the music and Fred wrote the lyrics.

8

280

20K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

I already knew I wouldn’t be able to find an email for John so I got in touch with a relative of his and a few days later I had an email from the man himself.

4

167

18K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 months

Al Jazeera English

@AJEnglish

4 months

Former US President Donald Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former or current president to be convicted of criminal charges in US history. 🟡 LIVE updates:

59

555

2K

118

4K

19K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

I always thought that was so cool, that grandpa and this guy Kander were in love, but during the pandemic I noticed something on a bookcase.

2

186

18K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

Tristan Snell

@TristanSnell

2 years

BREAKING: ALL 34 counts against Trump are FELONIES. Felonies, not misdemeanors. There had been thought that the 34 number came from some misdemeanor counts, but no. Odds that the indictment covers multiple hush money payments (like Karen McDougal) have now gone up even more.

416

2K

11K

65

3K

10K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

Sadly, Geeby passed last year after a battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease 😞🕊💜 My cover story for @palestinianmag attempts to honor his legend and legacy with stories from members of Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, and Stilulated Dummies 🙏🏻 Available here:

139

534

9K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

9 months

the IOF has targeted so many of our soccer players over the years that they had to form an amputee team and eventually a whole league. they just assassinated the man who formed the first team.

18

5K

8K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

8 years

greatest of all-time #VineHallOfFame

Duo Harbatah's post on Vine

Shooting Practice.. Part 2 #shooting #nembak

vine.co

17

3K

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

6 months

my sweet sweet Arabic professor Dr. Alaydi. she taught me how to read and write and transformed my class into a community. i loved making her laugh. now she is trying to help her family escape the genocide in gaza. please donate if you’re able 🤲🏻

8

6K

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

This footage is important because it might be the earliest documentation of a Palestinian kid engaging with American culture (or more correctly, counterculture.) That kid’s name is Najeeb “Geeby” Dajani and he’s my new hero. He was already a legend before ‘82, tho.

8

302

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

Fast forward to 1983, Geeby’s graffiti friends had a hardcore punk band called Frontline and needed a new lead singer, so Geeby came to the rescue. Here’s Geeby singing “Never Get Too Comfortable” with Frontline.

5

199

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

In 1979, the year after The Clash first sang “standing in Palestine lighting the fuse,” Geeby’s graffiti tag, ME62, was immortalized in the cult classic film ‘The Warriors.’ Not bad for an 18 year old, right?

8

174

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

8 years

first ballot #VineHallofFame

16

2K

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

9 months

Complex Music

@ComplexMusic

9 months

Mos Def's response when asked if Drake's music is hip-hop: "Drake is pop to me. In the sense like, if I was in Target in Houston, and I heard a Drake song... It feels like a lot of his music is compatible with shopping."

446

1K

8K

29

625

4K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

Pimp C talking about unionizing

7

985

3K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

Frontline were one of the most exciting bands of the New York punk explosion and kids like young Adam Horovitz (pictured) idolized both the band and Geeby. Horovitz’s band, The Young & The Useless, and another called Beastie Boys were once excited to share a bill with Frontline.

10

163

3K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

By this time Geeby had joined a rap production team called Stimulated Dummies (a name coined by Busta Rhymes) and made records for Golden Era groups like Brand Nubian, 3rd Bass, and MF DOOM’s first group KMD. One of their biggest records was Brand Nubian’s “Step to the Rear.”

9

167

3K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

Horovitz soon joined the Beastie Boys who became a rap group and released the best selling debut rap album of all time. When the young Beastie Boys would go to Frontline shows, they would stage dive and slam dance to a song that Geeby wrote called “Feel Like A King” 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

5

126

3K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

many moons ago i did a story on an artist named B L A C K I E and had it confirmed to me on condition of anonymity that B L A C K I E’s music was being played in the studio during the Yeezus sessions. Kanye also lifted some of the aesthetic as well.

42

288

3K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

8 years

lifetime achievement #VineHallOfFame

29

1K

3K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

@TwitterSafety you showed up to the fire after the house burned down with a bucket of water and the bucket has a hole in it

18

134

2K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

an all-time classic song, video, and verse. RIP Black Rob 😞🙏🏻🕊💜

17

805

2K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

@iamcardib

8

206

2K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

okay i made a cumbia edit of skeeyee. sexyy red x selena 😭🙌🏻

48

343

2K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

imagine not being from Texas, couldn’t be me

6

361

1K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

a Betty Wright sample gave us a Houston classic 😩🙏🏻

24

528

1K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

just got off the phone with Face, he’s tired but in good spirits and hoping this Ramadan will bring him some healthy kidneys 🤲🏻

Ruben || Check the Rhyme

@checktherhyme1_

4 years

Keep sending love and positive energy to Scarface. He continues to go to dialysis after kidney failure related to Coronavirus.

71

1K

3K

17

316

1K

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

George Floyd murals from around Palestine 🥺 Rest In Peace Big Floyd 🕊💜 الله يرحمه 🕊🕊🕊

11

276

953

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

@Billions the impression that i got was that with Geeby it didn’t matter how good or bad you were, he was more concerned with making sure everyone had a chance to participate and feel valued and in a city as unforgiving as NYC, that sentiment really touched me 😭

2

16

908

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

seeing Beyoncé and DJ Screw in the same music video is incredible, and, if my research is correct, this was the first music video that the Destiny’s Child quartet lineup ever filmed. a few months later they would film the videos for “No No No” parts 1+2 🔮

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

“Can’t Stop” by @SUCLILO featuring @destinyschild (1997) In this case it’s absolutely essential to hear DJ Screw’s version, the version that usurped the regular speed original.

1

15

60

12

309

824

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

for the love of god please just give us healthcare

Geopolitics & Empire

@Geopolitics_Emp

1 year

The NYPD is welcoming a new member to its ranks: a robot dog. The robotic mobile K-9 device is part of a number of technological rollouts the city said is "crucial" in keeping the city safe.

670

238

688

7

194

833

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

@brooklynrwhite

1

39

729

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

11 months

0

99

711

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

me and the same three people who like all my tweets

13

163

684

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

some of the last advice my grandfather gave to me before he passed was: don't plan out your whole life, just focus on taking the next logical step. that advice helped me stay curious in the pursuit of my passions and quite recently the universe again told me grandpa was right.

6

77

676

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

so drake….. read my story…. and had critiques 😭😭😭🦉🦉🦉🦉

19

56

632

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

10 years

#Ferguson to #Palestine http://t.co/ptzYsDQNdz

18

619

624

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

9 months

updates from my friends

13

352

575

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

RIP Big Floyd 😞💔

Navjosh

@Navjosh

4 years

Wow. George Floyd, the black man killed by Minneapolis Police, appeared on DJ Screw tapes back in the day as Big Floyd. RIP 🙏🏽

4

553

1K

4

314

572

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 months

“i know why the caged owl sings”

6

148

560

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

7 years

my houston friends: the ISGH is offering shelter in two mosques and also accepting donations that will go to evacuees. 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

Linda Sarsour

@lsarsour

7 years

Islamic Center of Greater Houston joins recovery efforts. Support their work. #Harvey

28

410

787

6

571

506

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

so now hearing Yeezus’ major influence on Utopia, i’d love it if B L A C K I E could get some credit.

5

32

517

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

it absolutely does make a difference to us when we see people who aren’t Palestinian sharing info about what’s happening. it makes us feel like we aren’t just crying out into the void. if you ever have questions about what’s going on, my DMs are open 🤲🏻

1

269

450

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

6 years

let's get Ted Cruz outta office, y'all 🤘🏻

15

94

429

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

7 months

earlier this week i unfortunately saw the image of a palestinian who had been run over by an israeli tank. while it is absolutely horrific, i want you all to know that it is not new. during the invasion of 1967 Baba saw this exact same thing happen — only to an entire family.

2

167

432

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

@triplesundaeuk the most fulfilling story i’ve ever done for that reason alone. read the full version here:

Palestine in America — Magazine — Music Edition 2020

The 2020 Music Edition is finally here. There are only a limited amount of copies available for individual sale so get them your copy while they last. In this issue, Palestinian journalist Sama’an...

www.palestineinamerica.com

5

59

440

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

1

19

413

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

what y’all NEED to be leaking is this damn VACCINE smh

2

47

404

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

50 years ago, my father and siblings started Palestine’s first rock n roll band: Al-Bara’em (The Blooms). Today, we share the first of their unreleased songs on @NoiseyMusic . Thank you @LeilaEttachfini for handling the story with such delicate care 🙏🏻

13

99

391

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

we always believed you @theestallion 💜💜💜

0

58

370

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

Happy birthday, Geeby 🕊💜 As great as this thread is, the full story is somehow even better, so we’ve now made it available to read and share online for free! I couldn’t have written it without the trust and encouragement of @CaughtOffBase 😩🙏🏻

Palestine in America — Blog — Geeby Dajani: Leader of the Latchkey Kids

Palestinian punk-rocker-turned-hip-hopper in New York City

www.palestineinamerica.com

8

24

381

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

8 months

my grammy outfit this year is for bisan, for motaz, for plestia, for wael, for lama, for all the brave journalists risking their lives to bring us the truth. for the journalists who have been assassinated, for their family members who have met the same fate. ceasefire now.

4

127

364

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

my current favorite album of the year is @LittleSimz ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert.’ when we did our first interview in 2014 at SXSW, she kicked a freestyle that had people’s jaws on the floor. i have never ever doubted Simz nor her potential for even one second 🙌🏻🔮

6

57

342

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

@questlove please let me know how i can send you a copy of the magazine so you can read the full story 🙏🏻

2

3

336

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

6 years

Today is the anniversary of the greatest Instagram post of all-time. A few months after Drake posted it, I had the chance to ask him about it and I now have a wild theory that's probably true. I was saving the story for my memoir, but it needed to come out today tbh.

Complex

@Complex

6 years

"I did half a Xan, thirteen hours 'til I land, had me out like a light" 🎶💊 What inspired Drake's "half a Xan" line on "Sicko Mode?" Here's a theory ➡️

33

57

393

9

77

309

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

7 months

@PopCulture2000s @yourCheriseAmor unfortunately for them they made stealing look very cool in this ad 😭😭😭

1

308

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

this year’s grammy fit is all handmade. pants and jacket hand-sewn in Palestine using fabrics from the old city of Nablus, featuring my late grandmother’s tatreez embroidery designs. beautiful powder blue custom hat by Kennimer Co, based in Austin, Texas. 📸 @ShayanAsgharnia

21

42

313

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

for my dear friend Sinat: wish i could see you smile big just one more time, iwish i could dance with you again, i would happily accept another cold shower and a summer night on your couch at that no AC apartment in Brooklyn just so i could wake up to the music of your voice.

14

16

303

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

boosie: “i’m a marketing genius, we could make some money together” mike f*cking tyson: “you know what would be awesome marketing for you? if you were kind and considered people’s feelings” idbfofnskskanhdhg

6

67

283

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

@jenjajeh glad it found you 🙏🏻💜

1

0

279

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

6 years

truly a big mood

1

41

261

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿

2

130

269

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

imagine if musicians did the same thing as the wga. took music off streaming, formed a union, and kept music off until the streaming companies agreed to cough up the dough.

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

Pimp C talking about unionizing

7

985

3K

3

56

264

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

@MeehanLinda my heart just absolutely burst with happiness in that moment, and it does so again every time i replay it in my head 😭 thank you for the kind words 💜

4

1

241

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 months

one reason why the solidarity among us is so strong is because so many of us know what it feels like when the ugly face of white supremacy is grinning at you. i had a nearly identical experience in the halls of my middle school after 9/11

Ashton Pittman

@ashtonpittman

5 months

A white Ole Miss frat boy dances like a monkey and makes monkey noises near a Black woman who was protesting for Palestine. Is this heart warming? (Video: @StaceyJSpiehler )

6K

8K

30K

4

62

247

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

6 years

case closed

5

30

237

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

hear me out wu-tang: the musical: on ice

9

36

242

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

2 years

RIP Issey Miyake

4

101

240

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

it took me 24 years, but i finally found my way home. each step i take here feels lighter than the last. over my shoulder is the apartment belonging to my teta (grandmother), god rest her soul, in the armenian quarter of jerusalem.

11

3

237

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

and if you want to read the story i wrote on B L A C K I E, you can find it here:

2

34

232

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

8 months

@FionaSmall they even did a version of the apartheid wall 😭😭😭

1

9

228

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

3 years

i don’t usually share stuff like this because it really scares and depresses me but palestinians aren’t even asking for money, they just want the world to see what’s happening

1

104

222

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

@michaelarria ily @Sethrogen 💜

1

0

201

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

RIP Andre Harrell 💜🕊 He changed my life 😞🙏🏻

5

35

219

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

me n @SheaSerrano have back to back birthdays so it’s really important for you to see these photos of us from the summer we met (10 years ago wtf)

14

1

211

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

rest in peace to Tommy Lasorda, who once made his personal spaghetti recipe for @LupeFiasco (and me) 🙏🏻🕊

3

19

207

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 months

the silence of people i’ve known my whole life over these last seven months has undoubtedly contributed to the decline of my mental health

13

36

210

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

6 years

international cat day

3

22

193

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

Evolution of the Houston national anthem: Notorious B.I.G. - “Warning” (prod. Easy Mo Bee, 1994) ♻️ Kriss Kross - “Da Streets Ain’t Right” (prod. Jermaine Dupri, 1996) ♻️ DJ Screw & Screwed Up Click - “June 27th Freestyle” (1996) ♻️ Drake - “November 18th” (2009)

6

101

203

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

4 years

@notowen 😭😭😭 you summed it up, a bunch of latchkey kids making magic out of dust

1

9

199

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

@paynushurts @_lizharvey and then “it’s five o’clock somewhere” comes on at half past 12 😭😭😭

1

0

194

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻 public transportation should be free

Elad Eliahu

@elaadeliahu

5 years

People protest NYPD policing the MTA by mass hopping the turnstiles

2K

62K

257K

7

53

186

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

5 years

Me vs. Chris Martin. Single elimination. Winner gets to be the lead singer of @coldplay .

2

25

192

Sama’an Ashrawi

@SamaanAshrawi

1 year

i’m not saying people are straight up stealing from B L A C K I E because i don’t think there are any pop / pop-adjacent artists who have the guts to do what he does, i would just love it if he got some recognition for his influence. so thanks to everyone who has shared 🙏🏻

1

4

182