Balti is one of the best-known rappers in Tunisia and one of the founding fathers of hip-hop music in the country.

His most popular videos have reached 350,000 hits on YouTube and he''s performed to audiences of over 50,000, sharing the stage with such Western rap idols as Method Man.

CNN reports that Tunisia''s rappers have long made a point of speaking their minds, their lyrics often bringing them into conflict with the old political regime. According to Balti, more than simply upsetting the status quo, rap music was part of the "fuel" for Tunisia''s spring 2011 revolution.