Riam Barazi, a Syrian child raps about her hometown, shows off her soccer skills, spends the day with her friends, daydreaming, an image that matches an aspiring hip-hop star in a Los Angeles or Brooklyn neighborhood.
Barazi has been listening to Arabic hip-hop for three years, memorizing the songs by playing them on YouTube over and over, sometimes replacing the lyrics with her own.
In the generally conservative Syrian society, many of her neighbors and relatives criticize her for her love of rap and football, and for her strong personality. Barazi is now writing some rap songs, but her lyrics reflect a deep love for her country, and the pain caused by the violence of the long-running Syrian conflict.