Saudi rapper Asayel Al-Bishi (popularly known as Asayel Slay) refuted reports that she was arrested by the kingdom's authorities over her song "Mecca Girl."
In an interview published by Al Arabiya on Sunday, the rapper denied news of her arrest and said she was only questioned by authorities for a technical issue which involved her not having the correct permits to film her music video. Al-Bishi explained that she didn't know she needed a permit to film in the kingdom.
"In the public prosecution they informed me. The video was not a problem, it was an administrative issue of not obtaining the right permits. I was called in for questioning and they investigated the issue," she stated.
The rapper stressed that this was the only violation she was interrogated over and there were no questions about the nature of her video or music.
Released last month, the track and its music video stirred controversy in the conservative country.
In the music video, the rising star raps about women in the kingdom's holy city of Mecca, Islam's most sacred site where millions go to perform the annual Islamic pilgrimage.
"A Mecca girl is all you need. Don't upset her, she will hurt you," she raps while mixed gendered backup dancers take the floor at a café.
The backlash over the clip eventually led some officials to call for the rapper's arrest. The now-refuted reports of her detainment intensified after Mecca's governor Khaled al-Faisal slammed the music video, saying it "insults the customs of Mecca." At the time, he also used the hashtag "they're not the girls of Mecca" to reiterate his stance. Thousands tweeted through the same trend, calling Al-Bishi out on her song.
Al-Bishi addressed the backlash she was subjected to
The young talent addressed the controversy caused by her music video and responded to those who accused her of misrepresenting Saudi women, saying:
"There are people that are supportive and some who are against. I respect people's opinions."
The intense backlash and criticism the courageous rapper faced haven't fazed her as she confirmed she's planning to shoot more videos in the near future.
The young woman has chosen to focus on those who stood in solidarity with her and there where thousands of them who tweeted via the hashtag "Mecca girl represents me."
