welcome back, everybody. for many americans the crisis in libya is something going on halfway around the world and really has little to do with their lives. but for others, it is something that really does hit right at home. >> absolutely. that includes a libyan american hip-hop artist who has been inspired by his countrymen. aaron katersky has more. ♪ >> reporter: you've got such a compelling backstory. how did you get to where you are? >> my father was actually in jail in libya for five years. he was tortured every single day. he was part of the student protest that was against gadhafi's regime. i remember the lashes on his back, the scars he would get, but he escaped before he was supposed to be executed. he made it to tunisia on foot. in the subsequent years he was