Moroccan Rapper SNOR is taking us on a VIBE !!

Masked On, Vibes and pure genius video content.

Check out this video & song by Moroccan Rapper SNOR

Palestinian/Lebanese Rapper anees releases his first song "Neverland Fly"

anees

To be honest, I find it really refreshing to chat with a rapper like "anees" who is half Palestinian/half Lebanese based in Washington DC, USA. He's someone that brings a lot of positivity and great vibes through his instagram posts/stories and LIVES....So, it makes total sense to me to feature him on Re-Volt the moment he decided to drop "officially" his first single on streaming platforms... He's good people and I do love his flow, lyrics, it brings me joy listening to him...

I caught up with anees the moment he released his song "Neverland Fly" which you can stream anywhere now and watch the video posted below... I am posting this now, and the song has been out for couple of weeks now and I am loving the reaction hes been getting, he also just told me that he will be working with "ThanksJoey" ,  one of the dopest producers at the moment that works closely with nikohigh, Narcy and Offendum ...

To Re-Volt readers, followers and supporters.. I introduce to you ...
anees..

Re-Volt: Give re-volt readers a quick intro about you, where you from, when did you start rapping, what got you into it? 

anees: I'm Anees. I am a hip hop/indie pop artist from the Washington DC area. I've been rapping since a young age. I started freestyling at 15 but I only began my pursuit of a career as a hip-hop artist last January. 

RE-VOLT:Watching your stories and videos has always given me positive vibes, it is the "way you rap", your "Flow", the topics you discuss in your writing. How did the love for writing start? Who inspires you? 

anees:Man, my love for writing began with a love for words. I grew up on word games. Smart Mouth, Scrabble, Boggle, crossword puzzles, you name it. Finding ways to play with words, letters, syllables, has always been a rush for me. When I'm crafting rhyme schemes and word-smithing, I am truly alive. I'm inspired by artists who do the same, the elite lyricists of music. And I'm not just talking about rappers or singers, I draw inspiration from any writer who weaves wonder from words. I've drawn inspiration from Nas, Eminem, J. Cole, Immortal Technique, Los, Kanye, Bill Withers, John Mayer, Jim Croce, India Arie, the list goes on. And, of course, we cannot have a discussion about inspired writing without at least reverencing the true GOAT, Khalil Gibran. 

RE-VOLT: You just released your first single "Neverland Fly" , how do you feel? i know its been 2 days, but if you can explain the process of releasing this first song? How long did it take you to actually take this step? (im so proud of you)(this was sent 2 days after he released the track)

anees:  It's surreal to have my own song streaming on major platforms. I'm still processing the experience and taking it all in. It took about 15 months to get to this juncture of my journey. I'm grateful and humbled to be where I'm at. I'm trying to be mindful and enjoy the moment, but also making sure to remember that my next single has to be on deck. 

RE-VOLT: One of the great things about your content is the fact that you always consistent, how hard is it to maintain that consistency? 

anees: To be honest, it's not hard at all. I'm hungry. I wan't this bad. When I love something, when I'm truly passionate about something, there is nothing else I'd rather do. I can't do anything less than everything I can do. Every second spent working on my craft is thrilling. Every step I take in this journey is a micro-adventure. A story within a story. It's crazy easy to be consistent, when you're living your dreams. 

RE-VOLT: Do you miss Vlogging? And will you go back to it? :) 

anees: I'm surprised you even knew about my vlog, lol. Yeah man, I low-key do miss vlogging. Vlogging was my first step into a full-time creative life. It holds a dear place in my heart. The time I spent vlogging was so formative to me as visionary and as a creative. I will definitely make more vlogs at some point, maybe once I'm touring... Hopefully that means soon. 

RE-VOLT: As you know, I am a big supporter of the Arabic Hip-Hop movement, who are your fav rappers from Arabia? 

anees: If we're including Arab rappers living in the Western Hemisphere, I gotta go with my OG's: Offendum and Narcy. While we're talking on OG's I love me some DAM, and you can't understate their influence on the craft in the homeland. Another artist who comes to mind is BiGSaM. A friend put me on to his music this past year and I was taken back by the remarkable balance he carries between a venomous flow and groovy rhythm. 

RE-VOLT:It seems that you have many many songs written, what made you decide to release your first single with 'Neverland Fly"? 

anees: I just knew I had to get my first song streaming. I have 12 other complete songs that are waiting in the pipeline, but you've got to start with one step. "Neverland Fly" is that one step for me. It was the splash I needed to get my feet wet, to introduce me to listeners, and to get the ball rolling. I made the decision a while ago, but I needed help to get the timing right. Shoutout to my homies Tantu Beats and Zak G for engineering this track and helping me get it across the finish line.

RE-VOLT:You help people with your music. Who helps you? 

anees: Everybody. I believe in humanity. I think we all help each other. I believe we are all connected in ways we will never fully understand. Interactions with others bring me joy. So everybody helps me. And as much as I may help my listeners, they help me tenfold. I think my followers/FAM base and I have a very symbiotic relationship. I am blessed by them in ways I could never deserve. But if I had to pick one person, my wife is my greatest help, hands down. She supports the vision and embraces all the madness that comes with it. She makes this music journey possible. Without her, there is no way we are even having this interview in the first place. 

RE-VOLT:How does the family feel about your music? and what was the Best Reaction you received from your fans? 

anees: They are extremely supportive. Borderline fanatical. I couldn't be more blessed in that regard. They have probably plugged my music to a cumulative million people by now. No lie. Oh man, the best reaction? I received crazy amounts of love, but I think the best reaction was my mom's. She's the president of the fanclub. When I got back home from my IG live song-release listening party, which I hosted in my car till about 2AM, she was waiting at the front door to welcome me home with a glass of scotch. That's the winner. 

RE-VOLT: Does your Arab Background play a role in your music? If so, will we ever see you use that in future releases? 

anees: I believe my background DOES play a role in my music, in the sense that my culture informed many of my values and views on the world. I am never afraid to make reference to my Arab Background and I'm proud to promote my people and my culture. I don't know how explicitly that comes across in my music, but we shall see. The future is a mystery but I'm open minded to collabo with artists from homeland, that would be incredibly special

RE-VOLT: Tell re-volt something NOT a lot of people know about you... 

anees: I am a licensed attorney in the Commonwealth of Virginia. But I have never spent a day practicing, nor do I ever intend to.

x

MEET SUDANESE MC shqzu

shqzu

It only took few seconds to fall in love with the sound of shqzu, I hit him up and I became a fan instantly...

From Sudan, through Riyadh to the world... REMEMBER THIS NAME VERY WELL !!

Quick Q&A with the man himself:

RE-VOLT: How did it all start with you? and what's behind the name shqzu? 

SHQZU: It was 2009, we’d kick it me and a group of friends some of us were still in High School but at that time I had graduated. We’d pick an instrumental off YouTube write to it and record using one of those Headsets that came with a microphone, back then used for Skype Calls I used to go by ShaQ and that’s after my father’s name Shakir (NOT SHAQUILLE O'NEAL), I was thinking of how I needed to standout and it was quite frustrating living the shadow of a great NBA player haha I was inspired by an article I read about the Zulu tribe and their leader at a certain point in time SHAKA ZULU, so it was metaphorically beautiful and inspired a lot, that’s where it first originated “Shaqazulu” then I just had to like come up with an abbreviation because it was quite long so I finally settled on SHQZU, sounded dope. 

RE-VOLT: You Sudanese, based in Riyadh. When did you move there? 

SHQZU: I came to Saudi Arabia in December 2018, like literally 48hrs before the Sudan revolted. I was in Khobar then after that moved to Riyadh in June 2019, I liked it here more to be honest.

You have a chilling vibe, love the wordplay, what inspires you in rap at the moment? 

SHQZU:Appreciate it bro, umm well I kind of get inspired by many different things, it inspires me seeing fellow artists unlocking their potentials and setting milestones, I love collaborating. 
Like when two or more artists come together and there’s chemistry and each present their own ideas, their own touch and be able to just capture that vibe and deliver it.....man I don’t know what to tell you, that’s just beautiful! 

- Who are your top MC's in Sudan? 
SHQZU: Well this is a tough pick... We have so much great talents back in Sudan bro, some of them not as popular as others, but there are countless dope talents and I’m just talking about the ones I had come across or met, I’m pretty sure there is a lot more, anyways I’ll name a few of my personal favourites, not in order of course... - Naj - AhmediHussein - O’D - Ace - The Circle - A7md - Flippter - YoungJustus - Oddisee ...You see I just had to stop myself because I could seriously keep going for days haha - 

Who are your top MC's ever? give me a top 5?
SHQZU: Well the first Hip hop track I ever heard when I was a kid was a Tupac track, so yeah I’ll play it safe and in no order - Tupac - Biggie - Jay Z - Nas - Method Man But to make it clear, you can ask me this same question on a different day and get a different answer, I guess today is this kind of day - 

Your production is mad dope! What's the process of your production, who is a producer that inspires you? 

SHQZU: Much love much love fam I really appreciate it... Well first of all I love beats, (I mean like who doesn’t...) but I love sampled beats! Especially those with vocal samples and soulful vibes, man I live for that. 
The process is umm I listen to music often, usually not Hip hop when I’m in the mood to make music though, so I’m usually playing the music while doing other stuff and I would usually come across a certain sound or vibe that steals my attention and qualifies for a “sound I would go for” in the music I’m making. 
At that point its either I’d start beat making right away or I’d just label it for later, depends. Producers there is also a lot that I love and aspire to be like for example there’s J Dilla, No ID, 9th Wonder, DJ Premier and back in the day Kanye 

J Dilla

Have you ever thought about rapping in Arabic? 
SHQZU: Actually I’ve been told a lot the “Why don’t you rap in Arabic your mother tongue etc. etc.”, therefore I actually did work on a couple tracks where I spit in Arabic, Sudanese dialect to be precise. So the answer is Yes, I did

Tell us about the "111" EP. I LOVE IT!!! How long did it take you to put it out there? 
SHQZU: 111 is the story of how I silenced my negative thoughts and second guessing and pushed through to get back to making music, In numerology 111 signifies the manifestation of your thoughts, it’s said one should be mindful of what they constantly think about as these thoughts good or bad come into reality. 

So 111 to me is an audio representation of how I gradually stepped out of a “negative thought loop” into a more brighter or a positive perspective, it’s a fresh start and a new beginning. I’m constantly making beats some of them I end up using some of them I don’t, but I put aside a certain set of beats and started writing and recording to sometime around mid-Sept 2019, the project release was on the 11th of Jan 2020. 

Is there a story behind "homeboiii"? :) 
SHQZU: Initially I was going to name it “Overthink”, like you know, how most of us do! But as I mentioned I was trying to overcome the negativity and have a positive approach in presenting this project therefore I had created this, my alter ego aka Homeboiii. This was an introduction and I’m going to dive into that persona more and more in the near future insha’Allah just stay tuned!

In the EP "111" which track is the most personal to you? (i know all of them are but if you given a shot to give a track out of ur EP to Sway, to play it, Which one would you send and why?" 
SHQZU: Well you already know that it’s really hard to pick out just one because they’re practically like a story building up haha but umm I can say this...the most personal track “although it changes with time” and the track I would give to Sway if I were to, are not the same haha If I was to get a record to spin on the radio I’d probably say “Been There” because it kind of summarizes the whole theme of this project and has a sort of an uplifting good vibe, nice to bump while cruising or during traffic and stuff “the whole project is actually, I recommend you check it out this link” 

RE-VOLT: Any shout outs you would like give...
SHQZU: I definitely have to shout out every single soul that made it possible for this project to come about and those that inspired me to make a “comeback” in the first place...I’m going to drop their Instagram accounts if you don’t mind... 

- The man behind the cover art of the project who is also a really talented rapper and a visual artist Ace @iam.vce 

- Visual arts by my very good friend the talented Muhammad Mahboub @kayboxthefirst 

- The painting, that covered almost 70% of the cover art, which was actually created around the same time this project was being made and was quite an inspiration for the direction of this project, both the art and the artist. 
Made by this amazing talent Aya Atif @_aaa_ya

 - And of course shout out @bahrainibruh and each and every one that supported me throughout and all my friends my family even if I don’t mention names know you’re always in mind and heart, one love! 

RE-VOLT:You & KAFV... Collabo Soon? 
SHQZU: KAFV is good friend of mine and we’ve known each other for a long time, so yes definitely you could expect some *fire emojis* real soon haha 

RE-VOLT: Tell Re-Volt Something not a lot of people know about you 
SHQZU: I’m a 27yr old, born and raised in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Studied in Malaysia then moved to Sudan and now in Saudi Arabia. Most of my friends are really dope artists I used to think it was a coincidence but yeah. I’m a Scorpio and I think the language of love is somewhere between food and music....PEACE!

FELUKAH: EGYPTIAN FEMCEE SAILING HER WAY THROUGH NEO-SOUL

Felukah (Pic by fotometro__) 

First time I heard "Felukah" was on a record that was produced by "Prodby77" who is an Egyptian producer based in Malaysia  - I was so impressed and I remember feeling also proud. She has a very unique vibe and there was something about her that made me believe in her & also show love and support.

I reached out for an interview, I sent in 17 questions!!! I really appreciate the time she gave me & Re-Volt, this is how the convo went, Show Love & Show support and get to know this incredible artist


BIG HASS: I gotta start with your name "Felukah", I know that your mom helped come up with it, tell us that story and since we talking family. How does your family feel about you doing music/hip-hop? 

Felukah: I was sitting with my mom in our balcony back in Cairo bouncing stage names back and forth when she thought up Felukah. We were looking for a word in Arabic that would be easily pronounced in the West—the philosophy around the name unfolded organically after that. 

Just like a felucca that’s sailing along the river, I want to embody an ebb and flow in my verse. Artistically and psychologically, I choose to stay open and explore where the wind takes me… it’s a very peaceful paradigm that I write in. 
Even if the emotion I’m grappling with is unkind or unpretty, the paradigm itself is rooted in authenticity and nature. 

My family sees the depth in what I do and have come to support my music career. I also work a lot with my older brother who co-produces and mixes my music; my sister helps manage me. We’re floating a very homegrown boat. 

felucca

BIG HASS: I love your poetry voice if that makes sense. You have a unique way of expressing words. You are from Egypt, but moved to the USA in 2017. I really am interested to know, If you didn't move there, would you be able to still pursue music in Egypt? 

Felukah: Language is my first love. It was my high school English teacher who introduced me to the power of poetry; it damn near unlocks pockets of your consciousness. I’ve been consistently writing poetry since the 9th grade, partially because of her. Only when I moved to New York City did that poetry evolve into rap music. I was around a lot of hip hop and was discovering my own sense of self in the freedom of a city with close to zero judgement. What’s mad cool is going back to Egypt and placing myself in the scene there, with the same identity and material that I’ve built in NY.

BIG HASS: Your track "Purple Philosophy" released in 2018, is one of my personal fav, love the references and the words, flow you used... can you take us through the process of you writing that and what is the sort of feedback you been getting on this specific song? 

Felukah: That’s crazy that your favorite track is off my first project! I don’t pride myself too much on the material in Battery Acid, I was just familiarizing myself with the idea of writing to record. “Purple Philosophy” does stand out to me however, it’s the first track I ever put out. I still work within the same framework; purple philosophy like I’mma be deepest shade of blue and still get loud as f*** I never wanted to be cool. It’s essentially the idea of welcoming highs and lows as part of a greater rhythm. I also shoutout Faten Hamama and Fairuz, who are two very important women in history. I got good feedback on the song when I dropped it on Soundcloud and that pushed me to keep creating.

 


BIG HASS: Correct me if Im wrong, you do have 1 EP + 2 Albums, How do you see you have evolved from 2018 till now? 

Felukah: I consider Citadel my first album and fully conceptualized project. I started getting closer to my sound in the Yansoon EP but hadn’t yet unlocked any signature flows or motifs. The most exciting thing about making music for me is the process and evolution of it all. To have grown through the manifestation of a feeling or an idea - that’s the trippiest, most beautiful thing. 

BIG HASS: Like i said, i love your story telling approach, I also respect and love the fact that you don't wana assign a certain genre to your music. How did that come about? 

Felukah: Because you're right, people tend to always put artists or even other people in a "BOX" and Label them, so being Label-Free is something I am totally with, how did you reach that conclusion? As a poet (and also as an air sign), I guess I see an openness and fluidity to things. We wake up every day and enter systems that perpetuate singularity and a digestibility of sorts, so we end up trapping ourselves under labels. Artists I admire like Solange, Noname, and Tyler, the Creator toy with genre just enough to keep their sounds fresh while maintaining the same essence. I believe in hip hop, I embody neo-soul and my mind works like jazz. Nurturing these different musical callings is essential to me.

Felukah (Pic by Fotometro)

BIG HASS: Name some of the artists you are currently listening to/getting inspiration from? 

Felukah: I’ve been spinning a lot of Tierra Whack and Joey Bada$$, while also taking inspiration from regional artists like Shabjdeed, DAM, and Egypt’s own Abyusif. 
My pallet changes on an almost weekly basis, but constants like Common and Erykah Badu can be found in almost every playlist I make. 

BIG HASS: We have an amazing Arabic Rap scene, but at the same time, there is a HUGE lack of women representation. What are your thoughts on that? and maybe even discuss why do you think it is the case? Is it traditions/culture? Is it that Hip-Hop is not really understood in Arabia...? Thoughts.. 

Felukah: Yes there is a severe lack of female energy in the Arabic rap game right now, but that’s destined to change. It may have been seen as taboo or risqué to be a female rapper at some point but embedded in our culture is storytelling and folklore. If you look at it that way, we were born with material for the mic. I think having more women in the industry in Egypt and surrounding Arab countries will definitely enhance our collective sound emanating to the rest of the world. 

BIG HASS: When you get on the mic in live events/open mics and you say you're from Egypt. How does the crowd usually react if they found out? and what has been the most amazing feedback you ever got? 

Felukah: People in the audience usually go through three phases of shock when the news first hits that I’m from Egypt. First it’s the fantasy built around the land, then it’s the fact that I’m rapping in English, then it’s the realization that I’m actually switching between English and Arabic. I like to keep people on their toes and I plan to incorporate more languages in the future. Someone once told me they’re learning Arabic on Duolingo to be able to understand my lyrics. That took me to the moon in my feels. 

BIG HASS: In terms of collaborations, what's your latest collabos, future ones, who do you wana collaborate with? Love that collabo with "Prodby77", maybe tell us how did that come about? 

Felukah: Most recently I was featured on Dena Anu$ka’s track “Caught in the Moment,” and am currently working on a record with Mvrs and another with Timmy the Nomad. Dig all their sounds a lot. I also have crazy material with rapper/producer Tuyme that we haven’t pushed yet. And that collab with 77 and Mo Sella was fire. Heard the beat and I fell right into it. “Kemia” was the only way to describe that feeling, having chemistry with the beat, and we ended up using that as the title. Dream collabs include Little Simz and Sampa the Great. 

BIG HASS: Your latest Album "Citadel" is incredible. Been listening to it! and Im so proud of you! How long did the album take to finalize? Your track "Ask The Birds In Cairo" Ft MC BolBol is super dope as well. love the collabo, love the English/Arabic, love the theme... + Tell us about the themes you discuss in this album? 

Felukah: Thank you! I started working on the album in December 2019 and decided to release it in July; many told me to take more time and get better mixing/mastering done. While I do agree that the project could still use some fine-tuning and potential remastering, it marked my evolution at that point and opened doors to multiple collaborations thereafter. Producers got a sense of what I was going for and now we can make moves in a far more intentional and grassroots fashion. As hinted at in the track “Ask the Birds in Cairo,” the entire concept behind Citadel rests on a notion of growing, building and taking true flight. The intro to the tape is a literal blueprint that introduces different themes of general elevation that the rest of the tracks highlight. Women’s empowerment, cultural representation and a lowkey profound silliness are themes I value deeply and definitely focused on in the album.

BIG HASS: What would you say is the most "Underrated" song you ever did? (A song that you personally thought it would do better, but it didnt)?
Felukah: Honestly “Whereto From Here” is my most underrated song. Verse is so fast and the beat is mad groovy, shoutout Rageh for hooking me up. I like my faster flows that incorporate lazy hazy hooks and I hope people catch onto that pattern soon. 

BIG HASS: Who are some of your favorite Arabic Female Musicians at the moment? 

Felukah: A lot of female talent on the rise. Dena Anu$ka just put out a wavy EP called Honey and Cream. Lella Fadda, Kilma and Peri are all about to launch. I’ve been blessed to perpetually find myself around divine, creative female energy. I can’t wait to work with each of them and inspire more women to hit the studio. 

BIG HASS:The fusion in your music is natural. One can see that, what has been the most challenging thing you have faced artistically? 

Felukah: I do like fusing languages, genres and concepts in my work. It actually hasn’t been challenging from a production standpoint; I think and feel in this way so I’m just staying true to my process. The difficulty might be in how people receive the material.. But I don’t make music for streams or followers. I drop bars and then see where they circulate.

BIG HASS: Are you getting support from Egyptian Media? If so, please shout them out because we want to highlight them too

Felukah: It’s cool to see independent production companies raising the heat in Egypt. I worked with DROOGS on the visual for “Ask the Birds in Cairo” and sat with them for a dope interview session afterwards. More recently I collaborated with Vybz to create this next project. They’ve also been the coolest team -- very hard working.

BIG HASS: What are you currently working on? Would love to see you in Dubai very soon performing maybe for THE BEAT DXB!!!? 

Felukah: 2020 starts this month for me. My first trap song “The Daughter” comes out on Monday (10th Feb'20) alongside a music video directed by the brilliant Seif Omar. I’m also cooking up an EP and outlining a collection of vignettes/short fiction for a book. I want to keep my place in literature in the written word. Books and records for the win. I’m trying to come through to Dubai mad soon! 

BIG HASS: Before I let you go, I need you to tell of few names we need to check in the Cairo Music Scene. Who you into? And If people can take ONE THING only from your music, what would it be? 

Felukah:Definitely peep Wegz and Molotof. We also have a scene for progressive rock, led by the band Sublunary. Kilma has an experimental sound and is definitely one to check out. If there’s one thing I want people to take from my music it’s the beauty of lyricism. I want to be remembered as a thinker and a poet. Nas reacts never calmy on a hype track - but we might. I’m getting spiritual on trap beats and switching flows while staying lo-fi. I’m learning the universe through verse of my own and I’m psyched to have people on this journey with me.

BIG HASS: Any Last words, Any Shout Outs, Please Go! 

Felukah: Shoutout to all the women artists in the MENA region who are searching for a reason to release their music, share their visual art or pursue their creative passions. Believe in your seat at this table. The world is listening.

Follow Felukah & Show Love

SUDAN CYPHER | سايفر السودان

Artwork by Nora Zeid 

I've always had a connection with Sudan, I am yet to figure out what and how this connections started but I LOVE the country, I love the people, I love the art, I love everything about Sudan. One of my 2020 goals is to visit Sudan inshalla.

I also love "cyphers", Put together 2 re-volt cyphers + an Anghami Cypher in the past, and then I wanted to do a "Sudan Cypher" and I felt honored to reach out to few incredible MC's that personally impacted me with their lyrics and their incredible flow.

I've had the pleasure to connect/meet with Brooklyn Hitz through the guys at "Phoaq" and I fell in love with his authentic beats and his passion for true hip-hop production. I reached out to him with the idea and he was very welcoming and supportive. He sent me many beats, I chose mainly 3 beats and those beats were sent to the rappers who I put together.

Now, this was the hardest part, I personally wanted to put a Cypher with the MC's that personally impacted me and hence I started to gather the line up.

I reached out to the rappers and they ALL showed so much love and support.

Each of them delivered and i loved the diversity of their verses.
Shout out to all of them!
Please show them love and show support.

Rappers:
G-Salih, TooDope, Oddisee, Lil Joe, Aka Keyz, Nadine, Flippter 

Iraqi-Kiwi Dubai Based Rapper I-NZ drops his FIRST EP | Dollars & Dinars

Iraqi-Kiwi artist I-NZ whose real name is Majid, just dropped his first EP just a year following the release of his viral YouTube video ‘This Is Iraq’, a remake to ‘This Is America’ by Childish Gambino.

The EP titled ‘Dollars & Dinars’ is now available on ALL streaming services. As a Kiwi born in Scotland to Iraqi parents, the cultural diversity is evident throughout his music,

The 8 track project is reflective of I-NZ’s current headspace as he addresses aspects of his personal life alongside various social injustice and political subjects.

The EP carries a dark and mysterious theme throughout yet still offers head bobbing moments by way of quality productions from A’Y and Prince Q.

There are couple of tracks that I really like on the EP, I like "Geppetto" and "Ellah Billah". I think I-NZ style challenged the producers which results in something kind of unique. It will be interesting to see how the Dubai Hip-Hop fan base react to this EP especially that it has "Vibes" but also there are important lyrics/songwriting that addresses issues that people in Dubai/region might not care about or want to get away from.

I-NZ has since been creating music that aims to bridge his Eastern roots with his Western upbringing. He does that in his own way. I still want to see what he has for the future and can't wait to get to know that EP he just dropped a bit more. 

Give it a listen. Show Love. Show Support 

Full EP, hear it HERE

I-NZ

UAE Based Rapper "KAFV" releases his debut album "AKSHUN"

I've known this brother for a while at least online, I've always appreciated his style and patience. KAFV which is pronounced like "Cafu" as the Brazilian Football team captain, is a UAE based rapper that just dropped his debut album.

Khaled Fouad came to the UAE when he was 4 years old. He started professionally rapping/releasing songs after he graduated in 2015 "Chemical Engineering" degree. "Rapping felt natural and me since day one, everything about rap feels natural" KAFV told re-volt

KFAV - Pic by Waleed Shah

AKSHUN which is his debut project took a whole year to finish, mainly because he wanted to learn how to produce/record himself. The album consists of 7 tracks spanning various sample sources and various lyrical themes but one artistic style, that of KAFV and KAFV only. 
Drawing influence from his life and his surroundings, he compiles this piece of boom-bap hip hop into something akin to a cinematic experience in audio form which is also reflected in the Album Artwork (Hand Painted on Canvas). 

Check out the whole album below on Bandcamp, its 
"Sample Heavy" in addition to some crazy wordplay in there.

Enjoy & Support 

Fav Arabic Rap Singles 2018 || #BigHassPicks

It has been a good year for Arabic Hip-Hop, here are some of my personal favourite, please email me your personal ones to see if I can add them to the below thread of videos/songs 

There will be another list for Arab rappers who perform in English, I just thought some of the below are pretty good and I personally jam to them.. Check it out

• BLVXB - كيماوي (Prod.by DJ AG) - (March 2018)

•  ILLIAM Ft. BiGSaM - Boat (March 2018)

• القيادات العليا - عاطل  (March 2018)

• LiL Eazy - Mathaher ( Ma Hametoni ) - May 2018

• The Synaptik - Dari- السينابتيك - داري (Ft.الفرعي- El Far3i) - (June 2018)

 

• Shi'rap X Smokable (Ft.Monologue) "جلي ظلام الليالي" - (Dec 2018)

• Daffy &Flipperachi - Laywagef دافي و فلب - لا يوقف

•  
• El Rass -SEIZURE SALAD (Nov 2018)

   

• Westcoast G'z - طحسنيزم - (Aug 2018)

• Muslim - Mama (July 2018)

 

 

• ابيوسف - عزرائيل | ABYUSIF - AZRA2EEL (July 2018)

•    Klay - Ya Rabbi | يا ربّي - (Dec 2018)

•    Be The Artist Ft Edd Abbas - Aleph Be (August 2018)

• Bu Kolthoum - Dallouni (March 4,2018)

BROTHER ALI RETURNS WITH A NEW SINGLE & VIDEO "SENSITIVE" & OH MY .....

Brother Ali 

"I love rappers with the big voices..

They put the power in their lyrics so you live for it 

And spit it boisterous, the ignorant can't ignore it 

I put the preacher's style in my delivery 

And I remember vividly somebody tweeted Chuck D 

And asked him who the best voices are, and he mentioned me"

"But since you got respect and an obvious connection 

And every time you bless us with the tiniest little speck 

Of an online mention, our fans all shower you with affection 

And just blow up your comment section 

Well, what the hell, I mean I ain't complaining 

But, how come you don't place us in the hip-hop conversation? They just look back with blank faces"

Latest track from one of the people I look up to, someone who inspires me daily, the one & only Brother Ali ... Brother Ali doesn't waste anytime here proving once again he's one of the biggest forces in Hip-Hop !! Listen to EVERY WORD ... 

Yasiin Bey Announces NEW BLACK STAR ALBUM // PRODUCED BY MADLIB !!!

Talib Kweli & Yasiin Bey (Black Star)

 "New Black Star with Madlib, Talib Kweli, Yasiin, coming soon!” Yasiin Bey announced. With those words, the crowd started cheering, hell, I was going crazy when I heard this!

The last & only BlackStar Album was released in 1998! 
As Iraqi/Canadian MC "The Narcicyst/Narcy" put it below during his performance at Step Music 2017 in Dubai.

"Black Star Changed my life!" @TheNarcicyst
I remember that moment
It's amazing that he has met/worked with both!@TalibKweli @CalledEarth pic.twitter.com/AJ3yC9lPfy

— BIG HASS (@BIG_HASS) August 27, 2017

      Can not wait for this! Check out Yasiin Bey's LIVE announcement below!

Sylvan LaCue - Coffee Break [Music Video]

Simply a dope MC. Blessings to him & WiseCo! Let's Go!

Sons Of Yusuf - 'On My Way' VIDEO Directed by Miniature Malekpour

Kuwaiti brothers Sons Of Yusuf release their new video "On My Way" off their mixtape entitled "Khalifornia" which you could stream HERE

The video was directed by Miniature Malekpour who added her own style to the brothers already great talent.

Although the lyrics are mainly English, they do incorporate a lot of Arabic in their songs, and this one has some great messages about believing in yourself and removing all this "Politricks" we have going on. 

Dope Video. Dope message. Big up to them
Lyrics of the song can be read HERE

Arab Rappers YOU should KNOW About ... Part i

Hip-Hop is a culture and that culture and art-form has reached Arabia. We got a lot of talent up in here, these are some of the Arab rappers that might not get the proper recognition and that YOU SHOULD totally know about:-

**Please note that in the below list, I am mentioning artists that don't get much recognition & also that only or mainly rap in Arabic and I will have a Part ii soon

• Bu Kolthoum | Syria 

• Edd Abbas (Fareeq Al-Atrash) | Lebanon

• El Far3i | Jordan 

• Shiboba | Saudi Arabia 

• Anas Arabi  | Syria/Saudi 

• Black Bannerz | Syria 

• Boikutt | Palestine

• Stormtrap (Asifeh) | Palestine

• Freek - Somalia (Based in UAE)

• SATTI | Jordan