Young rappers from Seville, Spain turn 'tears into rhymes'

Where We Are is a visual series about young adults and the spaces where they create community.

La Barzola, a neighborhood in Seville, Spain, is home to a diverse population of working-class families, many of whom are immigrants, with the pulse of communal and creative resistance running through their veins. The heart of the neighborhood is Plaza Manuel Garrido, a public park and social bond. And in that space is a basketball court that a group of budding rappers call their own.

Hip-hop was born 50 years ago from the rubble of urban distress in the Bronx, an act of resistance and expression by the most vulnerable in society. Today, music is everywhere: a multi-billion dollar ecosystem. But it also remains a deeply personal form of expression, including for the young men of this community.

“No matter how much pain, anger or frustrations we harbor from our daily experiences, music allows us to dig into those things and make them into something useful,” said Zakaria Mourachid, 21, who does music under the name of Zaca 3K. “We vent our anger on music. We turn our tears into rhymes because it allows us to feel free in a world that creates barriers around us every day."

World May 25, 2023 0 9 Add to Reading List

Young rappers from Seville, Spain turn 'tears into rhymes'

A young man wearing black and red sneakers, brown pants and a sleeveless black and white checkered shirt lying on the clay-colored asphalt of an outdoor basketball court. He has tattoos on his neck and arm. His left hand rests on his chest while his right arm is stretched out with his hand in a fist. loading=

Where We Are is a visual series about young adults and the spaces where they create community.

La Barzola, a neighborhood in Seville, Spain, is home to a diverse population of working-class families, many of whom are immigrants, with the pulse of communal and creative resistance running through their veins. The heart of the neighborhood is Plaza Manuel Garrido, a public park and social bond. And in that space is a basketball court that a group of budding rappers call their own.

Hip-hop was born 50 years ago from the rubble of urban distress in the Bronx, an act of resistance and expression by the most vulnerable in society. Today, music is everywhere: a multi-billion dollar ecosystem. But it also remains a deeply personal form of expression, including for the young men of this community.

“No matter how much pain, anger or frustrations we harbor from our daily experiences, music allows us to dig into those things and make them into something useful,” said Zakaria Mourachid, 21, who does music under the name of Zaca 3K. “We vent our anger on music. We turn our tears into rhymes because it allows us to feel free in a world that creates barriers around us every day."