In this Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 photo, rapper Ahmed Chayeb, better known by his stage name Mr. Guti, records on his computer, at his home in the southern port city of Bqasra, Iraq. Chayeb raps about anger and disillusionment in his hometown of Basra, which saw riots last summer over failing services and soaring unemployment. Chayeb says his generation is fed up with the false piety of politicians and religious authorities who preach about faith and duty but have left Basra to fall apart. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)
February 20, 2019 - 10:17 PM
BASRA, Iraq - A young Iraqi musician raps about anger and disillusionment in his hometown, the southern port city of Basra, which saw riots last summer over failing services and soaring unemployment.
Ahmed Chayeb, better known by his stage name Mr. Guti, says his generation is fed up with the false piety of politicians and religious authorities who preach about faith and duty but have left Basra to fall apart.
The 22-year-old has now become an artistic outlet for the youth-led protest movement in Basra.
His expertly produced music videos have drawn tens of thousands of YouTube viewers but his new-found fame has also brought danger: threats from hard-liners are common and two of the city's protest organizers have been killed in recent attacks. Their killers remain at large.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019