Musicians have long served as voices for immigrant experiences and refugee rights, with this tradition intensifying in the 2020s. Hip-hop artists, in particular, have powerfully addressed these themes. British-Somali rapper K’naan’s earlier work like “Wavin’ Flag” had already established immigrant perspectives in mainstream music, while artists like French-Malian rapper MHD and German-Turkish rapper Azet brought immigrant experiences to European hip-hop. In the United States, artists like Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Immortal Technique had previously tackled immigration themes, laying groundwork for newer voices.
The 2020s saw increased musical engagement with refugee issues. Syrian-American rapper Omar Offendum created works directly addressing the Syrian refugee experience, while British artist M.I.A., herself from a refugee background, continued advocating for displaced populations. Folk and indie artists also contributed significantly – Laura Marling, Patti Smith and others performed at benefit concerts for refugee organizations. Electronic music festivals became platforms for refugee advocacy, with events like Germany’s “Refugio” combining music with direct political action.
Notably, refugee musicians themselves gained platforms to tell their stories. The “Refugees Welcome” concerts across Europe featured Syrian, Afghan, and African artists, while initiatives like the Refugee Orchestra Project brought together displaced musicians with established European orchestras. These collaborations challenged the traditional charity model by positioning refugees as artists rather than merely subjects of sympathy.
The musical response to refugee issues reflects broader patterns in contemporary activism, where cultural production serves both as artistic expression and political organizing tool. Songs became vehicles for humanizing abstract policy debates, creating emotional connections between audiences and displaced populations. This musical activism complemented the digital organizing represented by #RefugeesWelcome, demonstrating how contemporary social movements blend online hashtag campaigns with traditional cultural forms to build solidarity and challenge exclusionary politics. The ongoing relevance of these themes, particularly given continued global displacement and rising authoritarianism, ensures that musicians will likely continue addressing immigration and refugee rights as central political issues.
Powerful and cinematic, Superheroes by Skint & Demoralised achieves an epic scope within its economical 2 minutes and 42 seconds by setting a spoken word story about a young boy’s innocent wisdom to a rousingly dramatic score. And as it builds to its heart-splittingly moving climax, it is made all the more poignant by the knowledge that it really happened…
