Josephine Zohny was born to an Italian-American mother and an Egyptian-born father in Pittsburgh, PA. She grew up in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and moved to New York City shortly before the September 11th attacks to attend college.
She received a B.A. in Music Business, Writing (Creative Non-fiction) and Race and Ethnic Studies from NYU in 2005. She is currently the Director of Entertainment Publicity for WeRoqq Publicity and Promotion, primarily representing hip-hop and r&b artists.
Her writings on music, pop culture and critical race theory have appeared on PopMatters.com, EURWeb and in Colorlines and Z!nk, among other outlets and publications.
She is intensely interested in the issues of ethnic identity as it pertains to Arabs, both in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as in the diaspora.
Her personal blog can be found at www.jzohny.com.
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05/02/2007 - 3:09 a.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny .jpg)
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Some lyrics:
“Tears trickle down my face, this is a war on my race So don’t expect me to fall in my place [Read More] |
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04/22/2007 - 6:46 a.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
The Arab American News has an interesting profile on Egyptian-American TV director Asaad Kelada, who has undoubtedly left an imprint on the lives of many in America and around the world.
What stood out to me what that this was a man involved in the arts. While speaking with Belly's publicist before interviewing him, she remarked to me that it was hard to find an Arab-centric publication or outlet that wasn't mired in all things political. I know that once, at an event at the Egyptian embassy while I was still undergrad, when I was asked what my major was and I replied "Music Business, Writing and Race and Ethnic studies..." my father chimed in "but then she will get a MBA and then she will go to law school..." Really? News to me! The person with whom we were speaking said "Well, she should do law school if she wants to, but the world needs music, too."
Arabs have produced some of the greatest writers and some of the most frequently emulated music of all time, so why is it that so many of us are pushed to go into careers that are thought of as traditionally respectable? The doctor/teacher/lawyer/banker model of success, if you will. Given that Arabs sometimes seem to have disappeared from the arts, it was nice to read about somebody who veered from the norm and delved into my beloved entertainment industry. Make sure you check it out. |
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04/14/2007 - 7:48 a.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
By Josephine Zohny
One of my clients, one of the more high-profile people I represent, is of partial Arab extraction. Since I began representing her, we've run into road-blocks when discussing her ethnic background. Many in the media refuse to acknowledge it. Our theory is that having her be widely known as an Arab American would turn the notion of what an Arab is, what an Arab is supposed to look like, what an Arab is supposed to act like, etc. on its head and society at large isn't ready for that.
So what do we do to assert ourselves and our identity in the media and in the world? Do we call upon well-known people of Arab descent to rep' it more forcefully? Do they have an obligation to do so?
Discuss. |
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04/05/2007 - 5:21 p.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
By Josephine Zohny
Barely 23 years old, Arab-Canadian rapper Belly (short for Rebellyus) can boast that he has a #1 single. Featuring R&B crooner Ginuwine, “Pressure” (from the forthcoming The Revolution) hit the top of the Canadian music charts just this week. I sat down with Belly, along with the rest of his CP Records team, at Tagine in New York City.
Remarkably thoughtful with self-possession beyond his years, Belly waxed poetic on music, politics and what it means to break down doors for other hip-hop loving Arabs.
Born in Jenin and raised in Canada, with stops in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Jordan along the way, Belly grew up listening to the likes of Fairuz and Umm Kalthum. After moving to Ottawa at age seven, Belly became transfixed with hip hop, forsaking a traditional formal education and schooling himself on the rap greats instead - 2Pac, Biggie and Jay-Z. At first, his parents were cautious, but when they saw their son’s dedication, their attitudes began to change. He says, “They’re so supportive, I gotta show them they’re supportive for a reason. When they saw how serious I was about what I was doing and the same kid that was running wild, was settled down and going to the studio, it really made them confident.”
In 1998 Belly stepped into a recording studio for the first time. Recalling how he‘s progressed as an artist, he says “I still have the same recording style, which is funny, the same formula from then until now.” As for collaborators, Belly prefers to not limit himself to a certain team of individuals. “Music is like vegetables,” the ... [Read More] |
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02/18/2007 - 2:14 a.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
By Josephine Zohny
I’ve been a hip-hop junkie since the ripe ol’ age of three. I remember turning on the TV (it must have been armed forces television, since my family was living in what was then West Germany because of a teaching gig my father took) and seeing the video for “I Need Love.” LL Cool J instantly became my new boyfriend (he replaced The Karate Kid!) and I was convinced that we were going to live happily ever after, in matching Kangol caps.
Since then, I’ve gone through different phases of hip-hop loving. I like the pop-y stuff, the “gangsta,” the socially aware and everything in between. Chuck D is my second favorite person to randomly quote, after Sartre. Given that hip hop is an art form born out of the struggle and tribulations young African Americans felt in the inner-cities, it’s no surprise that many young Arabs and Arab Americans heavily identify with and rely upon it as a means of expression.
Arab hip hop is still in its early stages and, admittedly, can sometimes be an embarrassing mockery of the craft. For every great artist like DAM and the Iron Sheik, there are several buffoons trying to appropriate a culture and experience that likely isn’t theirs. Some other worthwhile acts to check out include Patriarch, Belly, MTM and Poetic Justice. I’ll spare you the bad stuff.
But the question remains - as Hispanics put their own touch on rap with reggaeton, white boys prove that they can spit and Asians take the title on BET’s freestyle competitions - will Arabs be allowed into the American music industry, especially if they‘re saying something politically charged? If the music business has even a modicum of respect for upholding the principles upon which hip hop was built, we have a shot. Otherwise, like other positive aspects of our culture,&... [Read More] |
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12/08/2006 - 7:24 a.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
In a perfect world, there would be no groups marginalized on the basis of race, national origin, religion or other defining characteristics. In an imperfect - yet still more desirable - world than the one in which we live, these marginalized groups would band together in the hope of asserting their communities’ respective needs and demands. Given the state of separatism within the Arab American community (as well as others), this imperfect reality seems an unlikely hope.
When one thinks of racism in relationship to Arab Americans, the mind (perhaps unfairly) usually conjures images of anti-Jewish sentiment. And, indeed, that is a problem in our community (don't the Arab Americans who voted for George W. Bush because they couldn't cast their vote for a ticket that included Jewish Joe Lieberman feel foolish now?), but that isn't the only prejudice we're guilty of perpetuating.
Historically, as immigrant groups have entered the Americas, the dirty practice of survival has included subjugating other ethnic groups to ensure a slightly higher place on the food chain. The Irish did it to Italians and blacks, Italians did it to blacks and Puerto Ricans and so on and so forth. In some segments of the Arab American community, this "tradition" is alive and well in the way African Americans are regarded.
Along the way, some Arab Americans have gotten it into their heads that they are superior to African Americans. I've heard the word 3abeed (slave) thrown around more times than I'd care to admit. I find it funny (but not really) on a few levels because (1) often times the people slinging the slur are but a half a shade lighter, if that, than those they're demeaning, (2) while insulting African Americans, they're often a... [Read More] |
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11/16/2006 - 1:18 p.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
Dating can be a complicated issue for most people, let alone those with conservative, recently immigrated (or possibly still back home, but no less present) parents. Despite my father being Arab, Muslim and notoriously overprotective when compared to my friend's 'rents, he is liberal in many respects and I didn't have to deal with any considerable drama surrounding the topic.
Sure, when I was in high school, I was convinced that he was out to ruin my life. It didn't help that my mother was also on his side (nobody rivals Arab nuttiness in respect to female virtue better than a Sicilian).
Our usual conversation from ages 13-16 went something like this: Me: I want to date. Dad: No. Me: All my friends have boyfriends! Mom: All of your friends probably have venereal diseases, too. What's your point?
So, yeah, that didn't go over too well. Now it's a different ball game. My parents wouldn't dream of intruding on my private life, although my father does inquire often if I have a boyfriend before hastily warning me not to get married because "[He] is not ready!" They don't tell me who or what kind of people I can or cannot date, other than reminding me to use my best judgment. Recently, my friend's mother was taken aback when, after presuming that my father would forbid me from dating/marrying someone Jewish, I responded that he wouldn't mind - as long as they were nice looking (ahh, my father's superficiality at its finest). I imagined that most other Arab Americans of my generation had similar situations. More conservative on the subject than other Americans, sure, but surely not as rigid as what our grandparents went through.
Apparently, I'm wrong.
As you've probably gleaned from my earlier post, I spend way too much time on social networking ... [Read More] |
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11/06/2006 - 12:32 p.m. CST -- by Josephine Zohny
I hate Jeanine Pirro . I can't even begin to try to disguise my venom for this woman. All it took was seeing her filling in a few times for Dan Abrams on MSNBC for me to despise her . Jeanine Pirro, to me, seemed to be the epitome of the "Post-OJ hysterical white woman." You know the type - Nancy Grace, Diane Dimond, Catherine Crier, pretty much everybody on-air at Court TV. With these women, virtually anybody accused (especially if they're male and of color) is automatically guilty, no trial necessary. When she announced her planned bid for Attorney General for the state of New York, I scoffed at her candidacy.
And then I found out she was Lebanese.
Pirro being an Arab doesn't change my opinion of her. I still think she's a lousy human being with a suspect record when it comes to convictions (she was formerly a Westchester County DA), but it did give me pause. Do we, as Arab Americans, have an obligation to support others of our ilk seeking public office? Is any representation better than no representation? Sure, I may loathe Pirro and her politics, but would a win for her mean a door slightly more ajar for other Arab American candidates?
I'm not sure, but the possibility won't stop me from voting for Andrew Cuomo tomorrow instead. |
