If it’s true that great music comes from hardship, it should be no surprise that a rapper from one of the deadliest places on earth is making his voice heard.

Entire towns and villages in the northern Syrian province of Idlib have been emptied in the past few months as thousands have fled a brutal offensive by Russian and Syrian government forces. Some 3 million civilians are trapped there, many living in tents or sleeping under trees, with little hope of escape from the coming onslaught. Last month, children were being killed at a rate of one a day.

The suffering he witnessed in his hometown inspired rapper Amir “ALMUARRI” to take aim at Syria’s warring parties in his song “On All Fronts”. The track is a blistering attack on every major player in the Syrian war, from Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Syrian government to the jihadi groups that hold sway in Idlib.

“I felt a strong need to react to what’s happening in the liberated northwest Syria, from the struggles of civilians due to the bombings and the Russian-Syrian government offensive on Idlib, to the abuses carried out by the factions against civilians,” says 20-year-old Amir.

Syrian government offensive in Idlib Show all 8 1 /8 Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrians, including a member of the White Helmets civil defence rescue teams, run for cover during an air strike by pro-regime forces on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian rescue teams and civilians search for survivors amid the rubble in a freshly bombarded area following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian rescue teams and civilians search for survivors amid the rubble in a freshly bombarded area following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrian rescue teams and civilians look for survivors in a heavily damaged area following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib This photo provided by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Civil Defense workers searching for victims under the rubble of a destroyed building after an airstrike by Syrian government forces, Maaret al-Numan, a town in south Idlib, Syria, Thursday, May 30, 2019. Rescue workers and activists say at least five, including three from the same family, have been killed in Syria's last rebel stronghold when warplanes targeted the building they live in, leveling it. AP Syrian government offensive in Idlib A Syrian girl cries as she runs for cover during an air strike by pro-regime forces on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib Syrians run for cover during an air strike by pro-regime forces on the market town of Kfar Ruma in Syria's southwestern Idlib province, on May 30, 2019. - Regime forces and their Russian allies have over the past three months escalated bombardment of Syria's last major jihadist bastion in the province of Idlib and adjacent areas. AFP/Getty Syrian government offensive in Idlib A man rescues a child while members of the Syrian civil defence known as the White Helmets search the area for survivors following following a reported air strike by regime forces and their allies on Maaret al-Noman in Syria's southwestern Idlib province. AFP/Getty

The song gives a voice to those rarely heard in the Syrian civil war. Amir is among the many civilians who have found themselves caught in a battle between extremists on both sides. And he is not alone. More than 60 Idlib residents appear alongside him in the video, which was filmed in destroyed towns across the province during August and September. In doing so, all of them put themselves at risk of reprisals from local armed groups and government forces.

“This is the playground of the Russian leader, where you have to choose between the regime and al-Qaeda,” Amir raps in Arabic in the chorus. “Pick their side and you’ll be safe from their rockets. Now see how much talk at Sochi was able to stop it” – referring to peace talks in the Russian coastal city.

The video shows Amir rapping in front of bullet-scarred schools and destroyed buildings, alongside ordinary residents. It has been viewed more than 25,000 times in just a week.

Amir’s love of rap began at an early age, before the war. He grew up in Maarat al-Numan, a town that has traditionally been hostile to the extremist groups that have come to dominate the opposition to Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

His generation grew up with the war, and Amir lost many friends along the way.

“So many young people in Idlib have been detained since the beginning of the revolution. Others have joined the ranks of the regime to fight and others have abandoned their studies to work in a certain industry to be able to sustain themselves. Some have abandoned both school and work and joined the ranks of opposition factions to fight against Assad and Russia,” he tells The Independent.

He counts among his influences Tupac Shakur, Tech N9ne, Wu-Tang Clan and Ice Cube. He listens to ShiBoBa, Bu Kolthoum, and Anas Arabi Katbi in Arabic.

“I started to listen to rap music in around 2008, when I was nine. I like the rhythms and the lyrics, especially those that fit onto a particular beat.”

Syrians fleeing from the town of Maaret al-Numan and its surrounding countryside in the northwestern Idlib province in August (AFP)

Amir began rapping a little over a year ago. He bought his a microphone, a laptop and some headphones and started to write his own songs.

“My debut was really modest when it comes to sound engineering and production. Some of my friends who live abroad taught me some engineering techniques, mainly via the internet,” he says.

“My music mainly delves into political issues but also social questions and dangers. I also sometimes write for the sake of playing with words, meanings and flows.”

With Idlib threatened by more violence, Amir hopes that his song will reach the ears of those dropping the bombs.