Ibn Thabit

Ibn Thabit is an anonymous hip-hop musician from Libya known for his anti-government songs during the 2011 civil war. He retired from music in late 2011, stating that with the fall of Gaddafi, he had achieved his goal and wished to contribute to Libya's rebuilding in other ways. Thabit has been living in Libya, where any form of dissent was banned by law by Muammar Gaddafi's regime. This could have resulted in his being arrested and imprisoned, which was the primary reason for his using an epithet to preserve his anonymity. Ibn Thabit's music is considered to have given a voice to Libyans who wished to express themselves politically and non-violently despite being disenfranchised. He describes himself as inspired by the people, telling a journalist from the Danish newspaper Information that he was more affected by conversations with fellow Libyans than by anything else.

Ibn Thabit has his own website with support from people abroad on which many of his own songs and others produced in collaboration are freely available for download. Ibn Thabit's music is featured in a compilation of Arabic Spring resistance rap songs by Khala labeled Khala's Mixtape Volume 1. Ibn Thabit uses the internet and social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter, webcasting, podcasting and other means to spread his music and message. He regularly tweets about his music and news and broadcasts messages to the general populace. Ibn Thabit was the first Libyan blogger to blog in Amazigh, a language spoken by the Berber peoples of North Africa.

Discography Contributing artist The Rough Guide to Arabic Revolution (World Music Network, 2013)