Relevant Raps

Iraqi-American rapper Timz is riding the anti-Bush wave with "Iraq," the first single off his new CD Open for Business. At this writing, the song is the number four most-added track on CMJ's College Pop Radio Stations Chart. Sample lyric: "America the beautiful, what did they do to you?/ They used you, it's so indisputable.../ What, are we supposed to be thankful?/ You killed my family and I should say thank you?"

Born in the U.S. and of Chaldean and Iraqi descent, Timz (real name Tommy Hanna) says he wants to educate people about Chaldeans, devout Catholics credited as having been Iraq's native population in ancient times.

"I'm not shy about being proud of who I am, and it's great to educate people about my culture by rapping about things that other artists can't." He says the album title Open for Business refers to his job at his father's liquor store. "It's not nine-to-five; [it's] more like morning to night, 365 days a year. I'm here; I turn the lights on, and I turn the lights off."

In early November, Timz won a $5000 cash prize in TheBeat.fm's Summer Bash Music Contest. Earlier this year, an El Cajon concert was shut down by police and promoters as he performed an anti-Bush song titled, "There's a War Going On." Police said they responded to noise complaints.