Hip hop graffiti in Amman, Jordan (street art photos)

Think the U.S. has a lock on hip hop-inspired street art? Think again! Fans of old school rappers Tupac and Biggie Smalls have left their mark on the streets of Amman, Jordan.

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I came across this hastily scrawled tribute to America’s “rap kings” during my visit to the Middle East in April.

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The hip hop shout-out is surrounded by other graffiti, some in Arabic, on a cobblestone-paved street in Jordan’s capital.

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Unlike the street art in Cairo, Egypt, this work does not appear to have a political message. However, all of the graffiti wasn’t lighthearted. A street philosopher scrawled the line, “Casp!! God?!” across the wall of a gated building.

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I was surprised to find this graffiti in an upscale part of Amman, located near Al-Rainbow and Fawzi Al-Ma’Louf streets. It sits near the entrance to the Wild Jordan restaurant and gift shop.

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Wild Jordan is part of Jordan’s Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), and is responsible for developing eco-tourism businesses in national parks.

I didn’t see much evidence of hip hop culture in this small Middle Eastern nation, but I enjoyed seeing the familiar names– Tupac, Easy E, and B.I.G.– on a street 5,756 miles from home!

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This is the latest in a series of reports on the “Restoring the Journey” trip that brought US tourism leaders to Egypt and Jordan to investigate travel safety. I accompanied the delegation, which was sponsored by local tourism ministries.

Follow Downtown Traveler on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr for photos and videos of the trip, and look for the hashtag #SafeME on Twitter.

About Leslie Koch

I'm a New Yorker with a passion for travel and art. I founded DowntownTraveler.com after returning from a year-long backpacking trip around the world. Find me on Twitter at @leslietravel.