IN PICTURES: 'We’re rapping about going to the beach because we can’t'

THE ALiF in their studio in Shuafat Refugee Camp, East Jerusalem: (left to right) Muhammad Mughrabi, Yazan Bayatna, Muhammad Hindi (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

Taysir Odeh while recording in his studio in Nablus. 'The occupation is a problem but why do we always use it to hide our own mistakes?' (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

THE ALiF crew have lived and slept in their studio for one whole week in order to make their plans for 2015 (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

Muhammad Hindi has what is called a 'Green ID'. As a Palestinian citizen he is not allowed to leave the West Bank and raps about going to the beach (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

Two fingers down: A for THE ALiF (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

'It’s frustrating that the world thinks we’re all only violent. It sucks, man!’ Yazan Bayatna, THE ALiF (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

'We dream about standing beside famous artists to represent Palestine.' Muhammad Mughrabi, THE ALiF (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

THE ALiF produce their own beats using classical oriental instruments. The scooter is used by the large number of little fans who come over to the studio on a daily basis (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

Smoking, rapping and posing (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

Tarek Eleven, originally from Spain but now based in Ramallah: I speak almost no Arabic and my colleague Taysir [Odeh] only some English. Now we are producing the song ‘Gun of peace’… without ever using the same language, actually (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

Preparing the style for the next photo (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)

'Being Palestinian is very confusing for us. To the world it is not clear what’s going on here – what’s right, what’s wrong. If you watch TV you see things from a very limited perspective, through stereotypes ... like they are not educated, violence everywhere, suicide...' Muhammad Mughrabi, THE ALiF (MEE/Sebastian Backhaus)